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As I've written before about Dave Chappelle's horrible comments during a 'comedy' set in Madison Square Garden, in which he stated how he feels better following the murder of Turning Poing USA founder Charlie Kirk, the decent people on social media didn't take it without pushing back.
Despite rules prohibiting cell phones at the Madison Square Garden show, video circulating on social media captured Chappelle making the remarks.
"I feel fu**ed 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 apparently decided that wasn't enough, elaborating on his newfound sense of well-being.
"I know I shouldn’t say that, but it’s just a feeling. I didn’t ask to feel this way," Chappelle said. He then described his unexpected high spirits in the aftermath of Kirk's killing.
"I just be driving around like, ‘Why am I in such a good mood? Oh!'" Chappelle continued on Friday.
Turning Point USA directed Fox News Digital to Erika Kirk's statement on X, where she condemned the comedian's remarks and the broader spectacle of turning a political assassination into entertainment.
"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. You do not have to agree with someone’s politics to recognize the value of their life. This should not be so hard," she continued.
The reaction from other prominent figures was swift.
"Shame, shame, shame on Chappelle," Elon Musk posted.
Benny Johnson, host of "The Benny Show" podcast, called Chappelle's remarks "sick," while political commentator Meghan McCain asked, "What the h--- is wrong with Dave Chappelle?!"
Katie Miller, former communications director to former Vice President Mike Pence, tagged Live Nation, the entertainment giant that sold tickets for Chappelle's tour, and asked a rather pointed question:
"Is this something we agree with?"
Journalist Piers Morgan also weighed in, noting that Chappelle's comments were "especially egregious given that Chappelle himself survived an attack on stage in 2022."
That last detail deserves some attention. Chappelle knows firsthand what it means to have someone attack him while he is performing. Yet when another public figure was murdered in front of an audience, he apparently found himself in a particularly cheerful mood.
Social media users also pointed out an uncomfortable historical detail for Chappelle's defenders. Charlie Kirk had publicly supported the comedian following the 2022 attack, condemning the decision not to pursue more serious charges against his assailant.
Kirk wrote that refusing to charge the comedian's attacker sent "a clear message that public acts of political violence are justifiable." The man who attacked Chappelle was ultimately charged with four misdemeanors.
Kirk, meanwhile, was murdered at a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University in Orem on September 10, 2025.
Tyler Robinson, 23, the alleged shooter, has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges filed against him. His attorneys are seeking to block cameras from an upcoming hearing. A trial date has not yet been set.
<escape>[Image caption: Circulating video from Dave Chappelle's Madison Square Garden show captures him saying he "feels better" after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)]</escape>
Chappelle is no stranger to controversy. His edgier material has generated considerable backlash over the years, particularly his jokes about transgender people.
His 2021 Netflix special, "The Closer," sparked protests from a small group of Netflix employees who staged a walkout over his material.
But there's a distinction between offending people with comedy and publicly expressing satisfaction over the murder of another human being. Apparently, that distinction has become a little too complicated for some in the entertainment industry.
Kirk's assassination has also become material for other comedians, several of whom have discovered that jokes about a murdered conservative can generate plenty of attention.
Pete Davidson, for example, faced backlash after delivering an explicit joke about Kirk during Netflix's "The Roast of Kevin Hart" at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
"Tony reminds me of Charlie Kirk in that he’s definitely been on camera letting a guy unload in his throat," Davidson said during the roast.
"Saturday Night Live" "Weekend Update" co-anchor Michael Che also took a shot at Kirk's murder during his Netflix special, "Michael Che: Shot in Minnesota."
"I feel like Erika Kirk on this stage. That’s no disrespect to the Kirks, by the way," Che said.
Che also claimed he had never heard of Charlie Kirk before the activist's death, joking that he initially thought people were talking about "the dude from Star Trek."
Apparently, some comedians have decided that the assassination of a conservative activist is an inexhaustible source of material. The jokes keep coming, the applause presumably follows, and the entertainment industry continues congratulating itself on its fearless commitment to free expression.
Chappelle has every right to tell whatever jokes he wants. And audiences have every right to decide what those jokes reveal about the person telling them.
Charlie Kirk was a husband, father, and political activist who was murdered for exercising his right to speak publicly. Chappelle was once the victim of an onstage attack and received Kirk's public support afterward.
Now Chappelle is telling audiences how much happier he feels since Kirk was killed.
That's not particularly brave comedy. It's a rather revealing performance.
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