“Candace,” the podcaster opined that she didn’t assume it was acceptable that Erika was named CEO of Turning Level USA so quickly after her husband’s loss of life. Extra particularly, she mentioned it wasn’t truthful that Erika was permitting for enterprise as standard and for TPUSA Chief of Employees Mikey McCoy to talk at occasions whereas they declined to speak concerning the assassination or the investigation into it. “The messaging that’s popping out of Turning Level USA — so that is Erika in her CEO and her chairman capability — has simply been unacceptable, proper? It will possibly’t be each. … You may’t need fame solely in your command,” Owens mentioned in a thinly-veiled swipe that additionally noticed her evaluate Erika to Meghan Markle, whom she has lengthy been brazenly vital of.
Owens later doubled down on her Erika criticism whereas talking to distressed comedian-turned-evangelical podcaster Russell Model. “She ought to by no means have turn out to be the CEO and chairman in a single day, as a result of now when individuals have questions, you gotta reply them, proper? Now you’re not only a grieving widow, who there needs to be respectability for, and area, and permit her to be a mom, however you in a short time determined that you simply have been geared up to be Charlie,” Owens mused. Like we mentioned, this was when Owens was nonetheless conserving issues comparatively tame — however extra on her switcheroo from robust like to outright condemnation in a sec.
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Jennifer Welch referred to as Erika a ‘Grifter’
Whereas Candace Owens’ criticism of Erika Kirk started on a considerably mild notice, “Candy Dwelling Oklahoma” alum Jennifer Welch got here out swinging proper out of the gate.
In an episode of the “I’ve Had It” podcast, which she co-hosts together with her former Bravo co-star Angie Sullivan, she began off by criticizing Erika for the position she performed within the MAGA motion. She additionally referred to as her out for her weird feedback to The New York Instances about Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral win (ICYMI, Erika mentioned girls voted for him as a alternative for husbands). Particularly, Welch identified that regardless of publicly advocating for girls to remain within the residence, she was a CEO. “You really enable your self to be afforded all the luxuries of all the civil rights combat that the suffragettes and different girls fought for you to have the ability to be a full-time working mom, to be the CEO of an organization. You simply weaponize your gender to rubes so that you could grift off of them,” Welch slammed.
Welch went on to name out Erika’s outfit alternative for her New York Instances interview, declaring how apparent it was that she’d gone for one thing much less (in Welch’s phrases) “Tammy Faye Bakker” coded for a distinct viewers. “So that you can sit there and know sufficient and to be good sufficient that when you have been wearing your lace Tammy Faye Bakker outfit with tarantula eyes and the massive bouffant evangelical hair that you simply couldn’t stroll as much as the New York Instances and sit down and be taken significantly … You might be an opportunistic grifter who weaponizes your gender to demean girls,” she mentioned. Yikes.
Christine Quinn had some alternative phrases for Erika Kirk
A couple of days after her interview with The New York Instances, Erika Kirk did one other sit-down. This time, it was a City Corridor with CBS Information’ editor-in-chief Bari Weiss (Erika’s make-up for which sparked extra Tammy Faye Bakker comparisons, however we digress). In her “I’ve Had It” episode, Jennifer Welch had expressed her frustration with the interview, but it surely turned out she wasn’t the one actuality star to really feel some kind of manner about it. Enter, “Promoting Sundown” alum Christine Quinn.
“Erika Kirk be in every single place however together with her youngsters,” Quinn penned in a put up on X. On the time, some information shops mused that the remark had come out of nowhere, although there’s a risk it had one thing to do with the truth that the CBS City Corridor was filmed the identical day. Both manner, the actual property agent doubled down on her stance in reply to one in all her followers, who had identified the hypocrisy of Kirk being a busy working mom when she and her husband had been so outspoken in opposition to that for different girls. The follower had written, “Charlie instructed girls to remain at residence and lift youngsters and his spouse be doing the exact opposite.” Quinn’s reply? A brief, easy, however pointed, “THIS.”
It’s price noting that Quinn additionally appeared to agree with Candace Owens’ stance on the CBS City Corridor. This, after one other X person replied to her authentic put up with a clip of Owens mocking the widow for having sufficient time to do a press tour. “Sweet keep standing on enterprise,” Quinn quipped in response.
Candace Owens started an all-out feud with Erika Kirk
Talking of Candace Owens’ response to Erika Kirk’s CBS Information City Corridor, some will know that it was the interview with Bari Weiss that prompted issues between Owens and Erika to go from barely icy to full-on nuclear. Granted, Erika’s Fox Information interview shortly prior had already seen the widow trace at critical pressure between them. She was visibly upset whereas begging podcasters who she claimed have been making critical cash by sharing conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s loss of life to cease what they have been doing. Quick-forward to Owens speaking concerning the City Corridor on “Candace,” the podcaster took a beat, then responded, “No.” In the identical episode, Owens additionally criticized Erika as soon as once more for changing into Turning Level USA’s CEO when she was nonetheless grieving, and referred to as her out for telling individuals to not go after what she deemed her “household.” “This isn’t a toddler. Turning Level USA is a company,” Owens identified.
In fact, Owens did shut out the episode by saying she didn’t need to combat with Erika. The truth is, she shared, “I additionally need to be clear, my beef will not be with Erika. That’s what they’re pushing now, that when you query it, you’re up in opposition to Erika. I’ve been the identical Candace since I bought into politics. … I’m at all times going to face as much as, I suppose, popular culture.”
Which will have been the case — however relations didn’t precisely heat up after that. The truth is, regardless of what appeared to be a good assembly between the 2 in December 2025, the next month, along with persevering with to ask questions on Erika’s response to Charlie’s assassination, Owens additionally revealed footage of leaked calls from the Turning Level USA CEO to her staff. Enter, extra drama.
Christina Haack discovered leaked movies of Erika ‘disturbing’
Given all the things Candace Owens had already mentioned about Erika Kirk, it most likely didn’t come as a shock to many who she had a area day releasing leaked calls of the widow chatting with the Turning Level USA employees. Among the many issues Erika had mentioned have been that Charlie Kirk’s memorial service had introduced in main merch gross sales, and she or he even referred to as it the “occasion of the century.” One well-known face who felt uncomfortable about that? HGTV star Christina Haack.
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“This was next-level disturbing,” Haack wrote in an Instagram remark below the video. After a fan responded to say they have been impressed she was following alongside, she replied with one other remark that had us considering she most likely isn’t open to seeing issues from Erika’s perspective. “I made certain to let my individuals know if anybody was speaking about my ‘merch’ proper after I died I might 100% hang-out them,” she quipped.
Eagle-eyed Instagram customers could also be conscious that that wasn’t the primary time Haack hinted at not liking Erika. Au contraire, when Owens shared her video saying she’d cease mendacity if Erika instructed her what she’d lied about to Instagram, Haack had additionally given a refined vote of help. “Can’t cease gained’t cease,” she’d commented, clapping emoji in tow. Yup. Undoubtedly not an Erika fan.
Pleasure Reid doesn’t like Erika Kirk, both
In fact, no roundup of Erika Kirk’s superstar critics can be full with out mentioning those that referred to as her out for her cozy hug with JD Vance in October 2025. One notably vocal star? Pleasure Reid, who joked about it on an episode of “I’ve Had It.” In response to fellow Erika critic Jennifer Welch poking enjoyable on the inappropriate hug, Reid quipped, “Holding on the again of his head and rubbing on his head … why you holding the again of his head?” Reid went on so as to add that she didn’t assume Erika was behaving like she’d anticipate a newly bereaved spouse to. “You’re not doing the best factor. You’re presupposed to be a widow — you’re in leather-based pants? That’s not widow put on!” she joked.
It’s price noting that Erika clapped again at Reid in a playful manner the next month, joking on stage at AmericaFest 2025, “Pleasure Reid most likely wants a very, actually good hug. And, actually, I’m right here for it if she wants it. I’ve bought a great hug for you. … I’ll even contact the again of your head” (by way of “The Pleasure Reid Present”). Suffice it to say, Reid wasn’t eager on the olive department. Removed from it, she quipped on her present, “No, no. Completely not. Uh, don’t come close to me. Don’t contact me. Okay, to begin with, don’t.” Discuss drawing a transparent line within the sand.
Time will inform how Erika adjusts to her new, way more public life. She’s definitely had numerous hate to take care of early on — and given simply how vocal her detractors have been, we’re not anticipating that to vary any time quickly.
