President Donald Trump invited Erika Kirk to the State of the Union address as his special guest. The Turning Point USA chief took over the organization after the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk. Ever since that, Erika has gradually become an integral part of the president’s political circle.
During the address, Trump called Erika by her name and heaped praises on her late husband. This gesture appeared to have touched Erika.
While she received applause in the room, the internet has not been that kind. As Trump spoke about Charlie, the latter’s widow put a hand on her heart and mouthed “God bless you.” She then flashed a smile before jarringly switching back to a somber expression, sparking reactions on social media.
There are some who believe that the president’s words genuinely touched the businesswoman. Others, however, believe the whole thing to be a farce.
Erika Kirk’s reaction at the SOTU is going viral for a reason. Sometimes the most subtle expressions tell the loudest stories. 🌌✨
#ErikaKirk #SOTU #ViralVideos #GranHermano #Iranpic.twitter.com/2u217NbMvw https://t.co/9VOsvFRsDx
— Ashutosh Krishna ༗ (@IAmKrishnaaX) February 25, 2026
Social media users have been circulating the clip of Erika smiling at the event, with more than a few Turning Point USA fans accusing her being a hypocrite.
As Erika advocates for traditional values of women as homemakers and mothers, there are some conservatives who believe that she should retire from public life and focus on raising her children. Apart from that, there are a also many who believe that Erika’s grief has been largely performative.
Certain sections of the Internet believe that Erika’s presence at the address served three purposes.
According to them, first, it allowed Trump to cater to women of faith ahead of the midterm elections. Second, associating himself with Charlie might have helped Trump reach out to young voters. Third, it was attempt to mitigate any potential reputation damage that conservative political commentator Candace Owen’s seris Bride of Charlie might do.
Cancer Owens has released the trailer for her new investigative series into Erika Kirk titled ‘Bride of Charlie.’
What more will it take for Charlie’s “friends” to condemn this demonic spawn of Satan?
Does one of Candy’s cultists need to m*rder her too before you say something,… pic.twitter.com/pL7cVYC4Xe
— Jaimee Michell (@JaimeeUSA) February 23, 2026
Owens, who served as a communications director at Turning Point U.S.A. in the past, worked closely with Charlie. She has received a lot of backlash from the conservative right for her self-proclaimed “investigative series” Bride of Charlie, the title of which seems to play off of Bride of Chucky. Many conservatives have criticized the approach of the series.
The 36-yar-old has fanned the flames of conspiracy theories surrounding Charlie’s untimely demise. She has implied and alleged that Erika might have had something to do with her husband’s assassination. She has also heavily implied that Israeli intelligence might have been involved in Charlie’s murder.
Owens herself is no stranger to controversies and is, in fact, fielding a defamation case from Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron.
