Charlamagne tha God sharply criticized Dave Chappelle after a video circulated showing the comedian making remarks about the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. The radio host said he could not find humor in celebrating someone being shot over political disagreements, as reported by Fox News.

The video appeared on social media Friday despite rules barring cell phones from Chappelle’s Madison Square Garden show. Chappelle apparently delivered the comments during a New York City stop on his “Karmageddon” tour.

“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,” Chappelle said.

Charlamagne played audio from the viral clip Monday on his radio show, “The Breakfast Club.” He immediately pushed back, saying he did not “find the humor” in what Chappelle had said.

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“I don't find the humor in people getting clapped, okay?” Charlamagne said. “Any of us can be shot, and I don't want anybody getting shot because somebody disagrees with their opinion. 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. Like I don't wish stuff like that on my worst enemy.”

Some of Charlamagne’s cohosts pointed out that the Chappelle clip had emerged without any additional context. Charlamagne agreed that context was missing, but said the captured remarks sounded more like an observation from the comedian.

“It just sounded like he made an observation — at least from what that clip just played, that it was just like he felt better after Charlie Kirk got shot and killed,” Charlamagne said.

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Chappelle also described experiencing unexpectedly high spirits after learning about Kirk’s death. His comments in the circulating video went beyond simply saying that he felt better.

“I just be driving around like, ‘Why am I in such a good mood? Oh!'” Chappelle remarked.

The comments drew backlash across social media, where some commentators described the routine as a “sick” joke. Turning Point USA responded to the viral footage by directing Fox News Digital to a statement from Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk, on X.

Erika Kirk condemned the treatment of a person’s death as material for comedy. She called using the destruction of human life as a punchline “disgusting” and warned about the broader consequences of laughing at assassination.

“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 wrote.

Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet offered a similar response during an interview with Fox News Digital. While acknowledging that people have freedom of speech, he called for basic decorum when discussing political violence and assassination.

“We're not asking people to, you know, be evangelical Christians here. We're asking don't celebrate, condone or glorify political violence. Don't be happy when someone's assassinated. It's a very, very low bar. But if we don't keep it, then everything else falls apart,” Kolvet said.

Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10, 2025. The Turning Point USA founder was appearing as part of his “American Comeback Tour.”

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