A year after Charlie Kirk's murder, some comics are calling out jokes about his death

As the one-year mark since the murder of Charlie Kirk approaches this week, some comedians are calling out fellow comics for their jokes and reactions following the assassination of the conservative activist.

In May, Pete Davidson made a joke about Kirk’s assassination during Netflix’s "The Roast of Kevin Hart" in Los Angeles. Yet even in today’s "anything goes" style in the world of entertainment, Davidson’s joke shocked some fellow humorists. 

Talking about fellow comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, Davidson said on May 10, 2026, "Tony reminds me of Charlie Kirk in that he’s definitely been on camera letting a guy unload in his throat."

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"I watched it, and the reaction, you know, was like a giant groan, which is not what you want as a comedian," performer and comedy writer Michael Loftus told Fox News Digital. "With Davidson, it’s like, ‘My reputation precedes me. I’m daring, I’m brash. I’ll say anything.’ Well, yeah, I’ll say anything about the guy who is not going to punch me back. You’re certainly brave about the guy who’s not in the room."

Loftus, who met Kirk years ago at the nonpartisan political convention Politicon in Los Angeles, said that as a comedian, he’s "all about freedom of speech and the First Amendment," but described those who made jokes about Kirk as "just absolute cowards."

Comedian Bryan Callen told Fox News Digital that satire has long helped keep rulers in check and prevented people from taking themselves too seriously.

"You’re reminded that we’re all going to die someday," he said, explaining how comedy acts as a social equalizer and brings people together by highlighting human flaws.

"But then there’s something called good taste and compassion and things that just don’t make you laugh because somebody was killed," he said. "When something terrible happens publicly, and you see somebody killed in front of their children and their wife, I think we need a button that says, ‘Wait, hold on…’"

The joke generated backlash on social media. 

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Jimmy Kimmel ran into trouble days after the assassination as well. The "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" host was suspended by ABC after the comedian criticized the political reaction to Kirk’s assassination and erroneously implied the suspect in the case was a MAGA supporter. 

On Sept. 15, 2025, he said, "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it."

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But ABC brought his show back less than a week after suspending it, following a controversy involving Disney, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, the Trump administration, ABC and its affiliates. The episode raised questions about whether government and political pressure exerted through broadcasters and regulators could influence what a comedian can say.

Meanwhile, more than 400 entertainment figures, including Jennifer Aniston, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, signed an ACLU-backed open letter supporting Kimmel and warning against threats to free speech.

Others, like comic book writer and horror novelist Gretchen Felker-Martin, who posted incendiary comments about Kirk right after his death, didn’t have such support.

Felker-Martin had her "Red Hood" comic series canceled by DC Comics. The comic book publisher said posts or public comments that could be viewed as promoting hostility or violence were "inconsistent with DC's standards of conduct."

For his part, comedian Trevor Noah turned his commentary about Kirk's death into a discussion of gun control rather than the debate over censorship and speech.

Meanwhile, the sitcom "South Park" became part of the debate. The show had parodied Kirk just weeks before his death, and Kirk embraced the joke, calling it a "badge of honor." But after his murder, Comedy Central pulled the episode from its cable rotation.

Loftus, who noted he’s been doing stand-up for years, said he often sees comedians, for example, have no problem making fun of Christianity when they’re actually joking about members of a religion known for turning the other cheek, which he said Kirk practiced.

"I would love to see Pete Davidson’s material on Islam. He’s such a brave and incredibly thoughtful performer that surely he has some jokes about Islam," he said. "Oh, your Charlie Kirk stuff — yes, very edgy and brave of you. But surely there are some jokes about Muhammad."

Fox News Digital reached out to Davidson for comment. 

Loftus argued that many in Hollywood who opposed Kirk's beliefs haven't gone back to Kirk's own material, which Loftus described as thoughtful and well-presented, with Kirk delivering his arguments with a smile and a warm heart.

Callen described Kirk as a formidable intellect who could defend his positions and talk to people with whom he disagreed because he had studied their arguments more than his opponents had. Following Kirk, he said, never meant you had to be of one particular political persuasion.

"What he would always say is, ‘If people stop talking and stop debating in good faith, very bad things happen.’ So, I think Charlie Kirk, in many ways, was reminding us that this — our country and its freedoms — took a long time to build, and so much of us now, it’s very easy to define what you’re against, and it’s actually very easy to build a following and clicks by taking a strong side and amplifying your monologue. But Kirk didn’t ignore nuance or having a discussion," Callen said.

"Again, he had the respect to read the people he disagreed with and not just read, but try to understand from their perspective," he said.

"He could tell you exactly what the Old and New Testament was, how it contributes to the very lives we live today. Not many people can do that. That takes a lot of effort," Callen added. "He earned his point of view. He earned it. It wasn’t based on attitude. It was based on research and thought, and immersing himself in the best that’s been taught and said."

Loftus said that the message of common sense will ultimately succeed.

"The message that Charlie was sending out into the universe will certainly prevail. It’s just a matter of, you know, how long is it going to take and how much suffering will it take to get there?"