Featured Image Credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Charlie Kirk, Politics, US News, Social Media
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Charlie Kirk, Politics, US News, Social Media
Last month (10 September), 31-year-old right-wing campaigner, Charlie Kirk, was fatally shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University, with the suspected shooter believed to be 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
Most of the Trump cabinet attended Kirk's memorial service the following weekend (21 September) with Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump both speaking onstage.
Likewise, Erika, the widow of Kirk, who was well known for his polarising social views and Second Amendment advocacy, also shared some words at the grand ceremony, which took place at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with the event seeing dozens of thousands in attendance.
However, she's recently come under fire for various social media posts she's shared following the loss of her husband, with whom she tied the knot back in 2021.
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On her X (formerly Twitter) account, where she boasts 913.1k followers, the new Turning Point USA CEO has shared a number of tributes to Kirk, Bible passages, imagery from the funeral and political messages.
But, last week (28 September), the tone of her tweets changed as she posted 'LET’S GO DUCKS!!!' - a reference to the Oregon Ducks' win over the Penn State Nittany Lions in Week 5 of college football.
That same day, she also tweeted: "Go to church."
And, her most recent tweet at the time of writing was posted earlier today (3 October), which reads: "Hey Chicago wadya say?"
Some critics took issue with Erika's tweets, with one X user slamming: "The 'grieving widow' I'm yet to see her shed a real tear!"
"She's not even trying to pretend. It's been 3 weeks," hit out a second, while a third agreed: "This is not normal."
A few people, however, rushed in to defend Erika and call out such comments.
"I know this is hard for some of you to understand, but grieving the loss of a spouse and father is not something you box up and put a pretty bow on it to be sat on a shelf to be forgotten," one commenter wrote.
"I lost my husband, the father to our kids, and he was a HUGE Ohio State fan. Me, not so much. After his passing, I kept that love and passion alive FOR OUR KIDS. It was something we bonded over in memory of their dad. Try not being a f*cking ghoul for a day."
Another jabbed: "To cheer for the teams your husband, who passed away, loves is not normal? You’re a f*cking clown.
And a final X user seethed: "Very normal to tweet out exactly what her husband would have had he still been here. He loved the cubs and the ducks. They both won big games. I have seen people grieve in so many different ways.
"This whole conspiracy theories based on her behaviour is disgusting."
Tyla has reached out to Turning Point USA for comment.