Charlamagne tha God criticized comedian Dave Chappelle on Monday for mocking the assassination of MAGA activist Charlie Kirk during his weekend show at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
“I feel fucked up saying this — it’s scary being a public speaker. 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.
Charlamagne condemned the remarks on “The Breakfast Club.”
“I don’t find the humor in people getting clapped, okay? Any of us can be shot, and I don’t want anybody getting shot because somebody disagrees with their opinion,” the radio host said. “So yeah, you have the freedom to, you know, joke and talk about whatever you want to joke and talk about; but personally, I don’t want to deal with the energy of that.”
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot during a college event at Utah Valley University in September 2025. The trial of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing the far-right influencer, is scheduled to begin June 21, 2028, a judge announced on Monday.
Chappelle’s joke also drew ire from Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk. In an X post on Sunday, she called out comedians and others for making “beyond disgusting” jokes about her husband.
“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,” Erika Kirk, who succeeded her husband as head of Turning Point USA, wrote.
In her response, Erika Kirk did not call out Chappelle by name.
“You do not have to agree with someone’s politics to recognize the value of their life. This should not be so hard,” Erika Kirk wrote. “Political violence must never be something this country tolerates, excuses, or celebrates.”
Chappelle has not responded publicly to Erika Kirk’s statement. HuffPost has reached out to his reps for comment.
Chappelle first addressed Kirk’s death last year in his comedy special, “The Unstoppable.” He described Kirk, who was known for making comments that were often viewed as inflammatory, racist and sexist, as a “motherfucking internet personality.”
Chappelle then rebuked Kirk’s supporters for treating him like “this generation’s Martin Luther King.”
“You know, they both got murdered in a terrible fashion,” he said. “They both got shot in the neck. But that’s about where those similarities ended.”