‘You talk about how empathy is toxic’: Podcasters fire back at Turning Point USA after apologizing for their ‘insensitive’ Charlie Kirk joke

Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan have called out Turning Point USA and accused the organization’s members of hypocrisy. The duo faced backlash after laughing during a recent episode of I’ve Had It at a post about the late Charlie Kirk.

According to Mediaite, Welch and Sullivan apologized for the incident. The Kirk post came after Democrats performed strongly in the midterm elections. In an Instagram statement posted Saturday, Welch and Sullivan wrote that the joke was insensitive and that they should not have laughed at it. They stated they regretted the moment and offered an apology.

However, Welch and Sullivan did not let the conservative criticism go unanswered. In a later episode of their podcast, they argued that Turning Point USA members themselves celebrate violence and accused them of double standards. 

Hosts detail personal context for apology while rejecting Turning Point USA criticism

Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, responded on Sunday by writing that a culture which laughs at assassination shows profound moral decay. Separately, Turning Point USA’s Andrew Kolvet has tracked sponsors that withdrew support from the podcast following the backlash, including Cash App and Chewy canceling their sponsorships. On Sunday afternoon, Welch and Sullivan spoke at length about Kolvet’s comments.

Welch said the group appeared to be starting a conflict with them in order to demonstrate to donors that they could cancel liberals. She identified Kolvet as the person leading efforts at Turning Point and quoted his remark that he might be willing to listen if they apologized for participating in a toxic and evil culture that encourages violence against conservatives.

Welch stated they would never sit down to listen to him. She explained that the Saturday apology was not directed at him. She said it was for themselves because someone she loves very much died from gun violence two years earlier, and she did not feel good about the joke. Welch added that the apology allowed her to advocate for common-sense gun reform in a clear way.

She continued by saying she does not expect Kolvet to understand. Welch stated, “I don’t expect you to understand this because at Turning Point, you all laugh at violence all the time. You talk about how empathy is toxic and a worthless feeling, so I don’t expect you to understand that, but for you to think that apology was for you just exemplifies how out of whack you are with where the American people are right now.”

Sullivan said she would not accept lectures from the group. She stated that the people involved support congressional representatives who protect pedophiles and sex traffickers. Sullivan added that they are fine with American citizens being gunned down on Minnesota streets and with placing people in cages and treating them like animals. She asked, “We’re toxic, Andrew? I don’t think so. That’s the difference between us and you.”

Welch then addressed people at Turning Point who have complained that she does not speak enough while not supporting universal human rights. She said, “I want you to hear me: F–k off. F–k all the way off.”