Comedian Dave Chappelle said he feels “better” since Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated, a remark made during his “Karmageddon” tour stop at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Friday night that has since spread widely on social media despite the venue’s ban on cell phones.
In video circulating online, Chappelle told the audience: “I feel f—– 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.”
He continued: “I know I shouldn’t say that, but it’s just a feeling. I didn’t ask to feel this way,” before describing his mood since the killing: “I just be driving around like, ‘Why am I in such a good mood? Oh!'”
Turning Point USA directed Fox News Digital to a statement posted on X by Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, who called it “disgusting” to treat the loss of a life as a punchline.
“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.”
Elon Musk wrote on X, “Shame, shame, shame on Chappelle.” Benny Johnson, host of “The Benny Show” podcast, called the comments “sick,” and commentator Meghan McCain asked, “What the h— is wrong with Dave Chappelle?!”
Katie Miller, a former communications director to former Vice President Mike Pence, tagged Live Nation, which sold tickets for the tour, asking, “Is this something we agree with?” Journalist Piers Morgan noted that the remarks were “especially egregious given that Chappelle himself survived an attack on stage in 2022.”
Several users on X recalled that Kirk had publicly defended Chappelle after that 2022 on-stage attack, writing that a decision not to charge the comedian’s assailant sent “a clear message that public acts of political violence are justifiable.” The attacker was ultimately charged with four misdemeanors.
Kirk, 31, was shot and killed at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10, 2025. Tyler Robinson, 23, the alleged shooter, has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges against him, and no trial date has been set. His attorneys are seeking to keep cameras out of an upcoming hearing.
Chappelle has faced controversy before over provocative material, including jokes about transgender people in his 2021 Netflix special “The Closer,” which prompted a walkout by some Netflix employees.
Kirk’s killing has become material for other comedians as well. Pete Davidson drew criticism for a joke referencing Kirk during Netflix’s “The Roast of Kevin Hart” at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, saying a fellow roast target “reminds me of Charlie Kirk in that he’s definitely been on camera letting a guy unload in his throat.”
“Saturday Night Live” “Weekend Update” co-anchor Michael Che also referenced Kirk in his Netflix special “Michael Che: Shot in Minnesota,” joking that he hadn’t known who Kirk was before his death and had initially confused him with “the dude from Star Trek.”
Fox News Digital said it reached out to Chappelle’s team and to Madison Square Garden for comment but had not immediately heard back.
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