People Are Calling out Trump for His Joke About Charlie Kirk Following the Activist's Death
"I thought anyone who made jokes about his death should be fired," someone commented.
Published Sept. 22 2025, 2:01 p.m. ET
In a clip from an episode of the Fox News show The Story with Martha MacCallum, which went viral on social media, Donald Trump appears to make a joke about Charlie Kirk and "hate speech." He was on the show just days before he spoke at Charlie's memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
In the clip, which is only 11 seconds long, Martha cites something Charlie said about hate speech. In response, Trump seems to make a quip about what Charlie might think now. Though, of course, he is dead after he was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University speaking event. Which is why Trump's comment is seen by many as poorly timed.
What did Donald Trump say in his Charlie Kirk joke on Fox News?
In the Fox News clip, Martha says, "Charlie said, 'there is no such thing as hate speech.'"
In response, Trump quickly interrupts her and says, "He might not be saying that now."
This is likely in reference to Trump cracking down on individuals who publicly speak ill of Charlie, namely Jimmy Kimmel, whose late-night show was taken off the air following his own comments about Charlie's killer and Trump.
Although the clip of Trump's apparent quip about Charlie doesn't include everything he said on Fox News ahead of Charlie's televised memorial service, Martha also questioned him about whether or not his methods of going for what is seen as hate speech actually go against free speech.
"You know, it's interesting," Trump said in the interview, per The Independent. "I watch your show, and I watch others, and I see people saying things. They're crazy."
In January 2025, Trump introduced his plan to restore freedom of speech and end federal censorship, per the White House. In the order, Trump said that "government censorship of speech is intolerable in a free society." Since then, per his actions against those who have spoken out after Charlie's death, it looks like the rhetoric has changed a bit.
People were quick to call out Trump for his comments about Charlie.
After the clip from Fox News was posted on TikTok, users flew to the comments to share their thoughts on what Trump said about Charlie and hate speech. While his joke fell flat and many didn't find it funny, they were quick to point out what they see as hypocrisy from Trump.
"I thought anyone who made jokes about his death should be fired," someone commented.
Another user wrote, "Ayyy Republicans? Is Trump getting fired for this by chance?"
Most of the comments are from TikTok users who didn't even believe the clip was real at first. Others wrote that Trump does not seem to care about any potential ramifications about what he says now, and that his comments about Charlie are proof of that. A few days after the interview, Trump gave the eulogy at Charlie's memorial service.