Staff Reports
The podcasters behind “I’ve Had It” sparked a firestorm when a clip of them laughing about someone saying they’d exhume and kill Charlie Kirk went viral. Big advertisers fled. Now ad trackers show a small Wisconsin brewer has quietly stepped in as a sponsor. That move should make readers ask why a business once called out by federal agents would hitch its name to a show that cheered violence — and what that says about the marketplace of ideas today.
The controversy: hosts, a disgusting joke, and an advertiser exodus
The core fallout is simple and ugly. On a recent episode, the hosts read a listener message that said, “We’re digging up Charlie Kirk and doing it again,” and they laughed. The laugh went viral. Several large brands publicly paused or ended ad buys after seeing the clip. The hosts later apologized, said they donated to an anti‑gun group, and claimed critics were trying to cancel them. That apology did not stop advertisers from walking away.
Minocqua Brewing steps in — and why that matters
Ad‑tracking services detected Minocqua Brewing ad reads running on the podcast this week. The show’s producers even acknowledged a shout‑out from the brewery on air. Minocqua’s owner, Kirk Bangstad, has a long record of provocative posts, including a widely reported comment about offering free beer in the context of an attempt on President Trump’s life that drew attention from federal law‑enforcement. If a company with that history is the one willing to bankroll a show that celebrated a call for violence, we should note the optics — and the risk.
Advertisers were right to pull back — but this is bigger than ad dollars
Brands have customers to protect. When ad reads run next to talk that laughs at the idea of killing political opponents, corporate PR teams make a fast, boring decision: move money away. That isn’t “harassment” — it’s marketplace discipline. But the story is also cultural. Small companies stepping in to fund extreme, violent rhetoric shows how polarized commerce has become. A business that once lost permits and faced federal queries should think twice before using its bank account to underwrite content that normalizes threats.
Accountability and the next chapter for the podcast and Minocqua Brewing
Podcast hosts who cross the line should lose sponsors, then earn them back by showing real change. That means a sincere apology, transparent corrective action, and an editorial shift away from celebrating violence. Minocqua Brewing can fix this by explaining exactly why it bought ads and whether it endorses the laughter that sparked the backlash. Voters and consumers decide what stays on the air — and what dies off. If Americans want civility, they should reward it with their ears and their wallets. If they want ugliness, don’t be surprised when ugliness finds a sponsor.
