Most guests who weighed in criticized the joke. In the transcribed episodes I searched (Nov 9–11, 2026), conservative commentators and journalists made up most of the critics. Most defenders were comics or argued that comedy should have no limits, and some defenses came with conditions. Several guests landed in between.

What happened: A leaked clip from Chappelle's Madison Square Garden show had him saying that since Charlie Kirk was murdered, "I shouldn't say this publicly, but… I feel better." In a second line he said Kirk was "looking up at us… laughing like he can't breathe." That line copies Tony Hinchcliffe's George Floyd joke from the Kevin Hart roast.

Criticized him

• Joe Concha (journalist), Cats & Cosby: "Like, how as a dad can you just say something like that? No one in the crowd really laughed because there was no joke… It's just despicable." He added that he hopes "these people pay for it" through advertisers and ticket sales. (7:52)
• Justine Brooke Murray (journalist), David Pollack Primetime: "He was too lazy to even try to mask his utter contempt for human life in a joke… He didn't even try to come up with some fake punchline." (51:34)
• Michael Loftus (comedian), TMZ Live: Even if it was a commentary on Hinchcliffe, "it doesn't work as a joke." He also called Chappelle's target a safe one. (14:24)
• Frank Rubino (psychologist), The Lucy Ann Lance Show: Called it "ironic and a little grotesque," since Kirk had defended Chappelle after he was attacked on stage. He also called it "another level of sadistic thought process." (0:43, 2:47)
• Kimberly Burleson, Let's Ask the Mamas!: "It shocked me because I always kind of saw him as that comedian that had more common sense." (0:37)
• Bill Ed (panelist), Walton & Johnson: "Whatever Chappelle was trying to do probably wasn't funny." (17:55)
• Peter Brimelow, The Auron MacIntyre Show (episode titled "Dave Chappelle Wants You Dead"): Agreed that celebrities now feel free to celebrate Kirk's death, then shifted to broader attacks on the left. (4:40)

Defended him

• Marc Lamont Hill (professor), The Joe Budden Podcast: The strongest defense. "I wouldn't make that exact joke… But I love his courage in saying it." He read the bit as a commentary on the Hinchcliffe roast line: "It wasn't really about Charlie Kirk… It feels like he was doing something more sophisticated." (1:46:50, 1:49:35)
• Josh Firestine (comedian), Louder with Crowder: Chappelle was working out material that might be "a completely different joke" in a finished special. He added: "A stand-up comedian making a joke that wasn't intended to be recorded… that's not them fighting… They're telling a joke." (41:24, 44:43)
• Jesse Peyton (comedian), Walton & Johnson: Defended the principle more than the joke itself. "Under the umbrella of comedy, everything goes… Do you not like it? Cool. Don't watch it." (16:52)
• Brandon, No Jumper: "Nothing's off-limits in comedy… I'm not going to condemn what he said." He also argued the joke went further than Chappelle's trans material ("he never said he was happy that some trans person died"). The transcript doesn't identify him or his role on the show. (3:00:08)

In between

• Matt Taibbi, The Megyn Kelly Show: "I'm such a Chappelle fan that I feel like giving him a mulligan." Still, he said framing Kirk's murder as good for free speech "doesn't make any sense" and doubted Chappelle ever watched Kirk's show. Host Megyn Kelly was openly critical. (49:14)
• Graham Linehan and Bridget Phetasy, The Charlie Kirk Show: Phetasy called it "gross… disgusting," then asked, "Are we the free speech party or are we not?" Linehan first reposted the clip calling it terrible, then deleted that post. He said Chappelle often lures audiences in and then flips the premise, so he'd "wait and see." (40:53, 49:51)
• Vinnie Oshana (comedian), Valuetainment: At first gave Chappelle "a sliver of a benefit" in case he was setting something up, then played the second clip. (0:39)
• Jamie Boom Boom, The Pantelis Podcast: "The clip doesn't have the rest of the joke or the premise." (25:59)

Some hosts took sides too. Steve Harvey asked whether the line "was that important." Bubba the Love Sponge said stand-up should allow "anything." AJ Hoffman on The Morning Huddle called comedy "the sacred space." Megyn Kelly and Annie Frey condemned it.

I've added cards for six of these episodes. I searched for guest and panelist lines about the joke in episodes from Nov 1 onward. The background on the clip comes from Particle's news coverage, not the podcasts.