Conservative provocateur Candace Owens has publicly leaked a private conference call featuring Erika Kirk addressing Turning Point USA (TPUSA) staff, unleashing a torrent of criticism against the widow's conduct and tone just weeks after her husband's assassination.
A Leaked Call and Scathing Critique
Owens, host of one of the world's largest podcasts, released the recording of the Zoom meeting, which took place approximately two weeks after the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. She described Erika Kirk, the newly appointed CEO and chairman of TPUSA, as appearing "extraordinarily upbeat" during the call, a demeanour Owens branded as "weird" and "strange" given the tragic circumstances.
Focus on Metrics and Morale
During the leaked call, Erika Kirk praised employees for their work on a major memorial event for her husband, which was attended by Donald Trump and broadcast globally. She then shifted to discussing organisational metrics, revealing a significant surge in support following the tragedy.
"Since his assassination, we have just shy of 100,000 chapter requests, over 300,000 new donors, over 50,000 new hat orders," Erika Kirk told staff. "And I'm listing these because I want to put it into perspective because we're not just sitting there looking at the wall trying to figure out what we're doing."
She acknowledged the apparent incongruity, stating, "It's weird to say that I'm excited. I really hesitate saying that. It's a really weird thing to say. But I think it comes from a space of peace knowing that God's using this and we're humbly witnessing the gospel in real time."
Owens' Vocal Discomfort
Owens expressed profound discomfort with this approach. "We are not even two weeks after watching your husband be assassinated. We're talking about numbers and metrics that have been hit," she remarked in her critique, claiming to have spoken to employees who found Erika's "tone off-putting." Owens stated plainly, "All of this makes my skin crawl."
Internal Dynamics and Public Backlash
The call also featured Erika Kirk addressing staff welfare, urging them to put aside personal differences and utilise counselling services or paid time off if needed to grieve. "If you guys have any beef with each other from the past or have any issues, please put it to rest. Like my husband's dead... it puts life into perspective of how short life is," she said.
Owens targeted this segment too, suggesting it could pressure employees by creating an implicit comparison with the widow's stated resilience. "Imagine you're the employee. You're like, 'Okay, well, this is his wife saying this, so am I weird?" Owens speculated.
Spiritual References and Continued Criticism
Erika Kirk told employees that Charlie was watching from heaven and would be proud of their work, a sentiment Owens called "very strange," also criticising instances of laughter during the call. This leak represents the latest in a series of public attacks from Owens, whose podcast has seen soaring viewership figures amidst the controversy.
She has repeatedly accused Erika Kirk of exploiting Charlie's legacy for personal promotion and financial gain, allegedly steering TPUSA away from its founder's original vision. While Erika Kirk has not directly addressed Owens' recent remarks, she previously condemned "evil" conspiracy theorists in December for making revolting claims linking TPUSA to the assassination.
"Come after me, call me names, I don't care," she told Fox News on December 10. "But ... when you go after the people that I love and you're making hundreds of thousands of dollars every single episode going after the people that I love because somehow they're in on this? No."
The Underlying Tragedy
Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on September 10. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with his murder. The fallout within the conservative movement continues, as personal grief becomes entangled with political operations and public commentary.
