In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination earlier this month in Utah, his widow Erika Kirk has stepped into public view with all the force of tragedy and symbolism.
During a memorial on September 21, she and Donald Trump shared the stage, with a photo of the two sharing a hug spreading across social media, especially in circles that oppose the current president.
Highlights
- Erika Kirk competed in the 2012 Miss USA pageant, then co-owned by Donald Trump.
- Detractors took this as an indication of her career being propelled by Trump.
- Erika Kirk is now the CEO of Turning Point USA.
Some netizens are now pointing out the history that links Erika to Donald Trump, years before she ever met her husband, when she won the 2012 Miss Arizona USA beauty pageant.
At the time, Trump had control of the organization, and detractors suggest Erika was preyed upon by his orbit.
Pageant photos of Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, resurfaced in the aftermath of his memorial
Image credits: Gage Skidmore/Flickr
Much of the controversy hinges on Erika’s participation in beauty pageants.
After being crowned Miss Arizona USA in 2012, Erika competed in the Miss USA 2012 national pageant. At the time, the Miss USA pageant was under the umbrella of the Miss Universe Organization, which was co-owned by Donald Trump until 2015.
Image credits: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Preliminary judges allegedly told The New Yorker that Trump was known for handpicking participants. However, there’s no verified evidence that proves Trump personally selected her as a winner, or that she was especially favored over other contestants.
Image credits: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Cody A. Fodale/Released
Internet sleuths have pointed to Erika’s own website and portfolio, which state she worked as a model and casting director, to suggest that Trump “intimately orchestrated her future,” a claim that, so far, has proven speculative.
The pageant images, coupled with a particular photo of Trump embracing her, quickly spread on social media
Image credits: Everett Collection
Fueling the spark for the social media buzz were resurfaced photos of Erika back in her pageant years.
While sharing the photos was seen by some as an insensitive move given what transpired in Erika’s personal life, Trump’s critics used the images to suggest the widow was objectified.
Image credits: Miss USA/YouTube
Some even suggested that Erika was participating in glamour modeling, booking gigs, and putting herself in positions where powerful men could exploit her, painting her as a victim rather than a woman with agency.
“He looks like he is enjoying that hug way too much,” a netizen said.
Internet sleuths have started examining the Kirks’ connection to Donald Trump, which they believe is decades old
Image credits: Miss USA/YouTube
The story has led people to reexamine the Kirks’ connection to Donald Trump, beyond Erika.
Charlie Kirk’s father, Robert W. Kirk, is frequently described as an architect who participated in the design and construction of Trump Tower.
Image credits: Miss USA/YouTube
However, his own published resume states he launched “Kirk and Associate Architects” in 1992 and lists experience in resorts, office buildings, and multi-family housing. It doesn’t specifically name Trump Tower.
Image credits: mrserikakirk
Charlie, on the other hand, forged a well-documented relationship with the Trump family over the last decade.
In 2012, at just 18 years old, he co-founded Turning Point USA. By the 2016 election cycle, he was assisting Donald Trump Jr. with media and travel arrangements during the campaign.
Image credits: Gage Skidmore/Flickr
Over the years, he expanded his reach through youth mobilization platforms like Students for Trump, and secured a presidential appointment to the US Air Force Academy Board of Visitors earlier this year.
"That explains so much": Netizens kept speculating on the connection
