Twenty seconds. That is how long Jennifer Welch and her guest kept laughing on the November 5 episode of her “I’ve Had It” podcast after a line about Charlie Kirk.
The guest, identified as Sullivan, and Welch had just talked about “digging up Charlie Kirk and doing it again.” The pair later described the exchange as a joke.
By the end of the week, that laughter had produced a sponsor exodus, a public apology and a statement from the widow of the Turning Point USA founder.
Erika Kirk posted her response on X on Sunday. She aimed it at the entertainers and commentators who treat her husband’s killing as material.
“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,” Kirk wrote on Sunday on X.
She then turned to her own household.
“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,” she continued.
Her next lines addressed the country. “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 said.
She also spoke to people who disagree with her husband’s politics. “You do not have to agree with someone’s politics to recognize the value of their life. This should not be so hard”, she wrote.
The post ended with a demand. She concluded with, “Political violence must never be something this country tolerates, excuses, or celebrates.”
Advertisers had already started leaving Welch’s show by then. Sponsors began cutting ties within hours of the episode going live.
Cash App made the first move. The company published a statement on social media: “We do not condone violence of any kind, and we are no longer sponsors of this podcast.”
Three more companies followed. Chewy.com, Boll & Branch and Lola Blankets also dropped the program.
Welch and Sullivan tried to contain the damage with an apology. They called the remark “an insensitive joke” and added, “we should not have laughed. We regret it, and we apologize.”
The apology did not bring the sponsors back. The departures continued after the statement went out.
A second episode unfolded on Friday evening, about 24 hours before Kirk’s post, on a different stage. Comedian Dave Chappelle was performing for a crowd at Madison Square Garden.
Chappelle told the audience he “feels better” after Charlie Kirk was murdered. He raised the subject while talking about the dangers of 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.
He kept going. “I know I shouldn’t say that but, it’s just a feeling,” Chappelle continued. “I didn’t ask to feel this way. I just be driving around like, ‘why am I in such a good mood? Oh!’”
Together, the two episodes drew the response from Kirk. The podcast aired November 5, and Chappelle spoke Friday night at Madison Square Garden. Kirk posted her statement on Sunday.
Her message left the audience with the two children she says will live with the loss every day, and with her argument that a human life should not be a punchline.
