Widow of Charlie Kirk calls jokes about his murder 'disgusting'

Erika Kirk, the widow of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, issued a sharp rebuke on Sunday to entertainers who joked about her husband's death. She called the humor "beyond disgusting" in a post on X, directing the criticism at leftist podcasters, comedians, and commentators.

"My husband, Charlie Kirk, was killed in an act of political violence, something our two children and I will live with every day for the rest of our lives," Kirk wrote. She noted that he was shot while speaking at a college campus in Utah last September.

The statement followed two separate incidents that sparked public backlash. Comedian Dave Chappelle told an audience at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday night that the death of the Turning Point USA founder put him in a "good mood."

Earlier that same day, hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan of the "I've Had It" podcast apologized for laughing at a joke regarding Kirk's death. They were reading a roundup of social media posts about Election Day when the moment occurred. In a joint statement, the pair described the reaction as "insensitive." They added, "Whatever our political differences, there is nothing funny about gun violence. We've long supported common-sense gun safety reform."

Kirk argued that a culture which laughs at assassination reflects "profound moral decay." She stated that such behavior threatens the foundation of the country and the principles holding democracy together. "You do not have to agree with someone's politics to recognize the value of their life," she said. "This should not be so hard. Political violence must never be something this country tolerates, excuses, or celebrates."

The podcasters later pushed back against the initial apology in a video published on Sunday. Welch accused Kirk's organization, Turning Point USA, of launching a "cancellation campaign" in response to Republican losses in this week's elections. "They got L, after L, after L, after L because they're losers and they lost, because they believe in nothing," Welch claimed in the video. "So now they're trying to ignite a war with us because they're trying to prove to their donors, 'We can cancel libs.'"