Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna stated that comedian Dave Chappelle crossed the line by joking about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, as the lines were neither legitimate nor funny, although she considers herself a fan.
Luna, who used to work for Kirk’s Turning Point USA until she won her seat in the House and credits him with her political career, made the statement during an interview in the Capitol hallway with TMZ, which uploaded the video of the exchange.
Responding to the question of whether Chappelle crossed a line, Luna said: “No, I think that he obviously knows that he has a platform.”
Chappelle has been receiving criticism since clips from his performances at Madison Square Garden last week, as part of his “Karmageddon” tour, were released. In a clip from Friday’s show, which was recorded despite the ban on cell phones, Chappelle told the audience that ever since Kirk “got murdered”, he feels better.
“I shouldn’t say this publicly, but I feel better,” Chappelle said.
He also joked, saying, “I’m sure Charlie Kirk is looking up at us right now laughing so hard he can’t breathe,” implying that Kirk is in hell.
Kirk, 31, was shot and killed Sept. 10, 2025, while giving a speech at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Luna pointed out that Kirk also made a statement when Chappelle was a victim of violence. In 2022, a man stormed the stage and attacked Chappelle during the performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
“When he was assaulted by a crazy man or a man tried to attack him on stage, Charlie actually condemned it and understood that there’s political violence and that people need to be very cognizant of that,” Luna said.
Moreover, she referred to the statement made by radio host Charlamagne tha God, who criticized Chappelle on “The Breakfast Club” on Monday. “Any of us can be shot,” Charlamagne said on the show.
Recalling the host’s name briefly, Luna said, “Yeah, Charlamagne tha God actually came out and said that that wasn’t cool for him to do.”
“And I think that at the end of the day, I understand Dave Chappelle’s a comedian,” she added. “I actually really like him. I met him here with Lauren Boebert in the Capitol.”
Luna and Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado took a picture with Chappelle when he visited the Capitol in November 2023.
However, after hearing their statements and, to my understanding, another statement from him that Charlie Kirk is looking up at them from below, implying that he went to hell, Luna found it neither legitimate nor funny.
She said that according to the attendees of the show, much of Chappelle’s performance targeted Kirk.
“Not to mention, from people that were in the crowd, they said that a majority of it was, you know, tied to crapping on Charlie Kirk and, you know, not really made a good taste,” Luna said. “So I don’t know why he did that. He’s a funny guy. But when you’re getting called out by even your own team on it, maybe it’s time to say that maybe you overstepped the line.”
TMZ reporter pointed out that Boebert once stated that she liked jokes by Chappelle about transgender people and conservatives did not object to them. However, Luna rejected the comparison.
“Well, but they’re joking about someone that was murdered,” she said. “Different. Are trans people getting shot for speaking out about being trans?”
When the reporter replied that the murder rate for transgender people is high, Luna referred to Kirk, who was famous for debating students at college campuses and who was killed during one of such debates.
“People being executed on college campuses for speaking out and debating,” she observed. “And what I’d tell you is we’re still not joking about trans people getting shot and killed. I would condemn that too. Charlie Kirk condemned it.”
“Again, when you’re talking about someone that was politically assassinated, which is what it was, this is not, you know, joking where people are not getting hurt,” Luna said. “This is joking about someone who was murdered.”
Asked what Chappelle could do to make amends, Luna gave a suggestion.
“Maybe roast himself,” she said. “Apologize and roast himself.”
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