Erika Kirk’s meeting with Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the governor of Arkansas, was overshadowed by a now-viral clip circulating online, with viewers accusing Erika of being “performative.”
On Wednesday, March 11, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated at Utah Valley University in September last year, met with Sanders at the governor’s mansion.
Highlights
- Erika Kirk’s meeting with Sarah Huckabee Sanders quickly went viral after viewers began dissecting the widow’s “performative” facial expressions.
- The online backlash escalated as netizens compared her reactions to “trying on different emotions,” while others defended her, arguing that “grief looks different” for everyone.
- The controversy comes months after similar accusations surfaced following the fatal passing of Charlie Kirk, as viewers questioned Erika’s emotional responses during high-profile public appearances.
In clips shared across social media, as the politician praised Charlie’s legacy and Erika for stepping into her late husband’s shoes, viewers began scrutinizing the 37-year-old’s facial expressions.
One person reacted, “She is trying to garner sympathy; she doesn't have a genuine bone in her body.”
Netizens brutally blasted Erika Kirk over what they claimed was “disconcerting” behavior during a political meeting
Image credits: Gage Skidmore/Flickr
Sarah Huckabee Sanders met with Erika Kirk in a formal meeting centered on a joint announcement to expand conservative youth programming in Arkansas schools.
Erika, who is the Chairwoman and CEO of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), an organization founded by her late husband, Charlie Kirk, said the new initiative aims to protect and promote conservative and religious speech on school campuses, which both leaders argued is often suppressed.
Image credits: Turning Point USA
Governor Sanders also signed a statewide proclamation encouraging high schools and colleges to support the formation of Turning Point USA chapters and its Club America program.
The event also served as a tribute to Charlie, who was fatally struck by a rooftop sniper during a college debate organized by his group.
Sanders later shared a clip from the meeting on her official Facebook page featuring the two women, writing in the caption, “Arkansas was proud to welcome Turning Point USA's Erika Kirk!”
Image credits: SarahHuckabee
“Excited to have you here as we work to bring Club America chapters to students across Arkansas and empower the next generation of leaders.”
The governor took a moment to praise Erika for her efforts in the conservative movement in the video, saying, “We are here to welcome one of the conservative movement's most talented, most outspoken, and most faithful leaders, Erika Kirk, to our great state. We're so proud to have her, and we're so proud of the incredible work that she is doing…”
The 37-year-old widow of assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk met with Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the governor of Arkansas
Image credits: SarahHuckabee
Image credits: MargotRealLife
“We're so grateful, and thank you for honoring Charlie and his legacy and his mission to have a Club America on every high school chapter across the country,” she added.
Erika appeared emotional throughout the address. However, some online sleuths scrutinized her expressions, claiming her reaction was a “fake humble pose” and “performative.”
One person said, “What the hell is Erika Kirk doing in this video? Watching her is very disconcerting.”
Image credits: NotinOurChurch1
The same user doubled down, adding, “It's like some handlers told her she wasn't acting sad enough and this is the result.”
A second critic noted, “Watching Erika Kirk try 37 different emotions during this reminds me of how dogs will see you holding a treat and run through all the tricks they know hoping one is the correct one.”
“Human narcissists happen to do this run-thru of emotions to see what works,” one commentator said, scrutinizing her expressions
Image credits: THV11
Image credits: AlCappuccinoIT
“The fake humility and hunched posture are just infuriating and pathetic,” one said, while another user questioned, “When is she gonna stop faking it? Pretending to Be the Sad Widow is getting super old & expensive.”
“It’s like my autistic son in his language journey asking for something I said no to 9 different ways because he thinks maybe he said it wrong,” a third user added.
Others expressed, “Something is just not right with her… her face never matches what she’s saying & she never seems genuine.”
Image credits: SarahHuckabee
Image credits: TyronPenasaurou
“She is deeply weird. It's like she forgets, then suddenly remembers she's supposed to be a deeply grieving widow.”
However, some defended her, saying, “People grieve in different ways, some people wear black for a year/don’t leave their room for months…”
Another user wrote, “She is pretty ans [sic] she is trying to stay quiet and head down so not to outshine her hostess. It is an impossible task to please everyone, specially the people upset… Having a life could help some of these haters.”
Image credits: Gage Skidmore/Flickr
Image credits: TheRealThelmaJ1
Since taking the position of CEO at Turning Point USA, previously held by Charlie, the 37-year-old has faced several similar controversies over her public appearances.
Last month, while attending the State of the Union address delivered by Donald Trump, she was similarly accused of “faking her grief” when the president paid tribute to her late husband.
Some viewers even accused Erika of holding Sarah “hostage” in the video as the two shared what critics described as an “awkward hug”
Image credits: SarahHuckabee
At the time, some viewers claimed her expressions appeared “fake” and even gave them “Amber Heard vibes.”
“She goes from calm to trying to cry… so embarrassing and cringe,” one said, while another asked, “Was she crying and laughing at the same time?”
Others bluntly criticized, “I noticed her head went down as soon as he said, he was martyred … I don’t feel anything about her is authentic and at the same time I don’t want to talk badly about her. But I can’t help but think she’s not a widow, but she might possibly be a black widow. We may never know the truth, but I don’t trust her and I think she’s a fraud.”
As for the meeting between Kirk and Sanders, members of the Young Democrats of Arkansas expressed strong displeasure.
The group held a preemptive press conference, calling the move an “a**se of power” and accusing officials of using state resources to unfairly influence students toward one political ideology.
“It’s like she’s going through a list of personality types and throwing them all against the wall to see what sticks…” expressed one netizen
Image credits: TheRealThelmaJ1
Image credits: EmmaScott
Image credits: JustTheTweets17
Image credits: lei80733
Image credits: jp_caz
Image credits: DavidSimon91819
Image credits: jentiffrho
Image credits: kblack14644
Image credits: Matelshottest
Image credits: LLAMIRAGE
Image credits: AlxndrBrwn87
Image credits: MarieB08
Image credits: MikeHarvey14
Image credits: JustL19502
Image credits: HelenVanPatter4
Image credits: notice_ing
Image credits: unrealizzztic