Advertisers have begun pulling out of the liberal podcast “I’ve Had It” after its hosts, Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan, drew sharp criticism for a joke about Charlie Kirk. The backlash has cost the show at least some of its sponsors, while the hosts have turned their attention to Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization Kirk helped lead.
The controversy centers on an episode that aired last week in which the hosts joked about “digging up Charlie Kirk” in the context of posts about the midterm elections. The hosts laughed on air. They apologized on Saturday, saying the laughter was insensitive. Sullivan, however, later told Turning Point USA to go away, despite that apology. The segment has since been removed from the show, according to Welch.
Several companies have distanced themselves from the program. Cash App ended its sponsorship, citing its condemnation of violence. Boll & Branch reportedly dropped its sponsorship as well. Andrew Kolvet of Turning Point USA claims that more advertisers have withdrawn, and a source estimates that tens of thousands of dollars in sponsorship revenue have been lost. The full scope of the losses, and whether further sponsors will leave, remains unclear.
Welch has responded by accusing Turning Point USA of leading an online cancellation campaign against the show and of mocking violence without ever apologizing. The reporting does not show that Turning Point USA led such a campaign; the claim comes from Welch alone. Welch has said that she made a donation to Everytown for Gun Safety in response to the episode’s fallout, a move that places the dispute within the broader national argument over firearms and political violence.
An anonymous Democratic source has said that Welch sought advice about the controversy and blamed Turning Point USA for it. Welch denies speaking with any top Democrat and denies using ChatGPT to write her response. The source’s account has not been verified, and the conflicting accounts leave the exchange unsettled.
The episode also included a suggestion, made without evidence, that the man accused of killing Kirk had backed Donald Trump. Voter records show the suspect was unaffiliated with any party and had skipped the last two general elections, facts that undercut the hosts’ implication. Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff has said the hosts harm the party’s image, arguing that jokes of this kind damage how voters see the wider political movement that the show’s audience is associated with.