Podcasters Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan drew criticism from political commentators after laughing at a social media post about exhuming the body of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The two issued an apology on Saturday.
During Thursday’s episode of Welch’s “I’ve Had It” podcast, the two women laughed as they read social media reactions to Democrats’ victories in the 2026 midterm elections. Several posts mocked conservative positions on issues including abortion, vaccines and LGBTQ+ policies.
“Somebody posted, ‘I don’t care if you celibate or abstinent. Grab the nearest person available and do your worst. Abortion’s on me,’” Welch said, reading from the social media posts.
STATE OF PLAY: BLUE WAVE SWEEPS DEMOCRATS INTO POWER, WITH KEY RACES STILL HANGING IN BALANCE
The pair continued to laugh as they read other social media reactions mocking Republicans following the party’s midterm election losses.
“You can’t even fathom the pronouns we’re going to invent,” Welch read while laughing. “You can’t even pronounce them.”
The podcast host praised the writers of the various posts, calling the jokesters “patriots” and insisting that “these people make me patriotic.”
Welch further broke out into laughter while reading another post aloud: “We’re digging up Charlie Kirk and doing it again.”
‘SNL’ WEEKEND UPDATE ANCHOR CALLS REPUBLICANS SLURS, MOCKS CHARLIE KIRK IN STAND-UP SPECIAL
On Saturday, the two hosts apologized via a post on Instagram.
“On Thursday’s show, we laughed at a joke about Charlie Kirk. It was an insensitive joke, and we should not have laughed. We regret it, and we apologize,” the statement read. “Whatever our political differences, there is nothing funny about gun violence. We’ve long supported common-sense gun safety reform.”
“To that end, we’ve made a donation to Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in America,” the statement continued. “We’ll keep using our platforms to fight for the safety of all Americans.”
During Thursday’s episode, after laughing at the post, the hosts said, “No comment,” before asserting without presenting evidence that Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Kirk, supported President Donald Trump.
DEMOCRATIC STUDENT GROUP TO PROTEST CHARLIE KIRK MEMORIAL AT CAMPUS WHERE HE WAS KILLED
“Other than he was shot by somebody that was super MAGA,” Sullivan said.
“He was shot by a MAGA person,” Welch said, adding, “White person, White MAGA family.”
While Robinson and his family lived in Utah’s Washington County, a deep red county where 75% of residents voted to send President Donald Trump back to the White House, Fox News Digital previously reported that Utah Voter Registration records showed that Robinson is unaffiliated with a political party and did not vote in the past two general elections.
Several commentators criticized the hosts’ remarks on social media.
PETE DAVIDSON SPARKS BACKLASH AFTER EXPLICIT JOKE ABOUT SLAIN CHARLIE KIRK DURING NETFLIX ROAST
“In all of their hatred and blood thirst, these ghouls seriously consider themselves morally superior to you,” conservative activist Riley Gaines said in an X post.
“They will celebrate your death, laugh uncontrollably, and still be fully convinced they’re the ‘good guys,'” influencer Collin Rugg posted.
Media Research Center President David Bozell also criticized the hosts, telling Fox News Digital, “If Madison Ave. would stop sponsoring gutter trash, gutter trash would go out of business.”
Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff also criticized Welch and Sullivan’s remarks.
BOBBY BURACK: ONLINE HATE IS WINNING, FROM PAT MCAFEE TO EVERYDAY AMERICANS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
“As a Democrat, it is frustrating to watch Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan get treated like voices for the Democratic Party when so much of their own brand is railing against Democrats,” Shroff told Fox News Digital. “Have either of them persuaded a single person to vote for a Democrat?”
“Then, after Democrats just delivered historic wins and a massive blue wave, they say something this offensive and irresponsible and suddenly the story is about them instead,” he added. “They are not helping Democrats. They are hijacking the attention Democrats actually earned at the ballot box.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
Welch and Sullivan did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.