Erika Kirk condemned jokes about the killing of her husband, Charlie Kirk, calling them “beyond disgusting” after comedian Dave Chappelle mocked his death during a sold-out performance at Madison Square Garden over the weekend.
Addressing the New York City audience Friday, Chappelle said he had felt “better” since the conservative commentator was fatally shot at a Turning Point USA rally last September.
“And I mean, look, ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered … and I shouldn’t say this publicly, but I feel better,” Chappelle said.
“I know I shouldn’t say that, but it’s just a feeling,” he continued. “I didn’t ask to feel this way. I just be driving around like, ‘Why am I in such a good mood? Oh!’”
After a clip of the routine spread online, Erika Kirk criticized what she described as “leftist podcasters, comedians, and commentators” who have turned her husband’s assassination into a punchline in a post on X.
“To see leftist podcasters, comedians, and commentators laugh about political assassination as though it’s entertainment and the destruction of a human life is a punchline, is beyond disgusting,” the widow and Turning Point USA CEO wrote.
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“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,” Erika Kirk said.
“A culture that laughs at assassination is one of profound moral decay. It threatens the very foundation of our country and the principles that hold our democracy together,” she added.
“You do not have to agree with someone’s politics to recognize the value of their life. This should not be so hard. Political violence must never be something this country tolerates, excuses, or celebrates.”
Kirk, a 31-year-old father and the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at an open-mic event before a crowd at Utah Valley University.
Chappelle had previously addressed Kirk’s death in his December Netflix special, “The Unstoppable,” saying the shooting left him shaken.
“If you talk for a living and see Charlie Kirk get murdered that way, I’m gonna be honest, I was shook,” Chappelle said in the special.