Podcast loses sponsors over Charlie Kirk joke
The gist
Cash App, Chewy, Zenni and others dropped ads from the progressive podcast I've Had It after hosts laughed at a joke about Charlie Kirk.
The hosts apologized, but the pullback shows brands moving fast on assassination humor.
How it unfolded
- Sep 2025Charlie Kirk, conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was murdered at age 31.
- Nov 3, 2026Democrats took control of the House and Senate and won key governors' races in the midterm election.
- Nov 5, 2026On the episode "Drinking MAGA Tears," hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan read a social media post saying "Let's dig up Charlie Kirk and do it all over again" and laughed for more than 20 seconds.
Key terms
- MAGA
- Political slogan and movement associated with Donald Trump's campaigns and his political base.
- midterm election
- US general elections held near the midpoint of a president's four-year term, when all House seats and about a third of Senate seats are contested.
- brand safety
- Measures that protect a brand's image and reputation from being harmed by questionable or inappropriate content alongside its online ads.
Source: Wikipedia