Chappelle, Jennifer Welch jokes about Kirk's murder part of pattern of leftists finding humor in violence
Comedian Dave Chappelle and far-left podcast host Jennifer Welch sparked outrage for joking about the brutal murder of Charlie Kirk. (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Jazz At Lincoln Center; Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for GLAAD)
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Charlie Kirk, the conservative icon and Turning Point USA co-founder who was assassinated in 2025, has been the subject of viral jokes, particularly following last week's midterm elections, which saw Democrats score victories over Republicans.
"I've Had It" co-hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan went viral after celebrating Democratic victories and laughing uncontrollably last week at an online post that read, "We're digging up Charlie Kirk and doing it again." Several of the podcast's sponsors pulled their support following pressure from Kirk's supporters, prompting Welch and Sullivan to issue a statement apologizing for their conduct and advocating for gun control. Welch later doubled down in a separate video posted Sunday.
"When we apologize for laughing at a joke on our podcast, that wasn't for you. That was for us," Welch said in response to comments made by Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet, saying it was for someone she knew personally who was killed in an act of gun violence.
On Saturday, the two hosts apologized on Instagram. "On Thursday’s show, we laughed at a joke about Charlie Kirk. It was an insensitive joke, and we should not have laughed. We regret it, and we apologize," the statement read. "Whatever our political differences, there is nothing funny about gun violence."
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk's assassination has been the subject of jokes among some on the far-left. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, a video circulated of comedian Dave Chappelle performing over the weekend at Madison Square Garden, in which he told the crowd, "I feel better," while discussing Kirk's assassination. Notably, Kirk had previously condemned the "armed maniac" who attacked Chappelle onstage in 2022 and called for harsher criminal charges against the attacker.
Chappelle and Welch are among several entertainers and commentators who have joked about political violence targeting conservatives or made remarks interpreted as encouraging such violence in recent years.
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Jokes about assassinating Trump
The promoting of President Donald Trump's assassination began within hours of him being sworn into office in 2017. At a Woman's March rally held the day after his inauguration in Washington, D.C., music superstar Madonna told the crowd, "I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House."
In May 2017, liberal comedian Kathy Griffin sparked a national controversy when she posed for a photo shoot holding a prop of Trump's bloodied severed head.
That June, actor Johnny Depp alluded to President Abraham Lincoln's assassination while discussing Trump, saying "When was the last time an actor assassinated a president? I want to clarify: I’m not an actor. I lie for a living. However, it’s been a while, and maybe it’s time."
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Several celebrities have joked about President Donald Trump's assassination from comedian Kathy Griffin to ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. (Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty Images)
The jokes about Trump continued even after the assassination attempts against him in 2024. Hours after the Butler shooting that July, Kyle Gass of the band Tenacious D made a birthday wish while blowing out candles at a concert, saying, "Don't miss Trump next time."
In April 2026, "Saturday Night Live" cast member Michael Che set up a joke by noting that Trump had attended the opening night performance of "Chicago" at the Kennedy Center during "Weekend Update."
"I think that's cool that the president is going to the theater. I mean — what's the worst that could happen?" Che said with a grin, referencing Lincoln's assassination.
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel also drew controversy earlier this year for joking that First Lady Melania Trump had "the glow of an expectant widow" days before the assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Kimmel later insisted the joke was referring to the age gap between her and her husband.
Others who've joked about killing Trump include George Lopez and the late Broadway actress Carole Cook.
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"Saturday Night Live" cast member Michael Che cracked a joke about Trump's assassination during "Weekend Update." (Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Image)
Violent rhetoric towards GOP lawmakers
It's not just Trump and Kirk who have been the subject of violent rhetoric. Republican lawmakers have faced similar ire from prominent leftists.
Some public figures have mocked Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who was assaulted by his neighbor in 2017 following a dispute over yard maintenance. Paul suffered six broken ribs and later underwent surgery.
Actress Bette Midler made multiple jokes at Paul's expense, writing in 2018, "Where’s Rand Paul’s neighbor when we need him?" as he debated a federal spending bill. In 2019, in response to Paul's comments about Kurdish fighters in Syria, Midler said, "I DO NOT promote violence but...Rand Paul says the Kurds are being 'ingrates' for taking their frustrations out on U.S. Troops. Which is a good reminder for us all to be more grateful for the neighbor who beat the s--- out of Rand Paul."
Midler also made a remark about stabbing Trump, writing in another post, "Maybe someone in his camp can gently give him a shiv. I mean, shove."
Bette Midler made multiple jabs about Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., after he was assaulted by his neighbor. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
In 2025, progressive commentator Hasan Piker told his audience, "If you cared about Medicare fraud, or Medicaid fraud, you would kill Rick Scott," pointing to the senator's past tenure at a healthcare company that pleaded guilty to fraud. Piker later walked back the comment, suggesting Scott should face "MAX PUNISHMENT" instead. Piker also called for the murder of landlords and property owners in a separate livestream.
"Kill them! KiII those motherf—-ers and murder those motherf—-ers in the streets... Let the streets soak in their f—ing red capitalist blood," Piker said.
The 'execution' of Elon Musk
Earlier this month, New York University professor and podcast host Scott Galloway called SpaceX CEO Elon Musk a "traitor" and suggested he should face the same punishment as Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, after reports emerged about Musk's alleged involvement in restricting Starlink satellite internet speeds in Ukraine. The Rosenbergs were executed in 1953 after being convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union.
"We lined up the Rosenbergs against a wall. This is a traitor to the West, and he should be held to the same standards as every other traitor in the West," Galloway said. (The Rosenbergs were actually executed by electric chair at Sing Sing prison in New York.)
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NYU professor and podcaster Scott Galloway insisted that tech giant Elon Musk is a "traitor" and suggested he should be executed. (Galloway photo via Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images | Musk photo via Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Galloway doubled down on his comments, saying on a separate podcast, "I realize this is an incendiary statement, but I’ll make it and I believe it. I think Elon Musk is a traitor to the West."
"That if this had happened in any other age where we were not obsessed with innovators and money, a much different reaction would be playing out to Elon Musk," Galloway said.
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Welch told Fox News Digital on Monday that she regretted the joke but also continued to attack Turning Point USA.
"We laughed at an insensitive joke. We regret it, and we apologized. We removed the segment from the episode because we oppose gun violence in all of its forms and made a donation to Everytown for Gun Safety to put our money where our mouth is. Turning Point, the group leading the cancellation against us, mocks violence and never apologizes," Welch told Fox News Digital.
"We still have plenty of advertisers and we aren't going anywhere," she continued. "Each and every day we will relentlessly fight for equality and justice for every American, and we enthusiastically welcome the nearly 30,000 new followers that have come to our channel in the last few days."
Fox News Digital reached out on Sunday to Chappelle’s team and Madison Square Garden for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to joseph.wulfsohn@fox.com and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.
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