What to Know
Given that Erika Kirk is now the CEO of Turning Point USA and has been making lots of public appearances after her late husband’s death, she seems to prioritize her career. People have actually accused her of being “everywhere but with her kids” because of the number of events she’s been doing. So, some critics found it a bit ironic when she told other women that motherhood should be their “main focus” in life.
During a recent speech shared by Turning Point USA, Erika addressed some of the criticism she’s received from people who think she should “go back to” being a stay-at-home mom instead of being a CEO. She said she obviously never wanted to be the “sole provider” for her kids. However, the way she framed it came across as disingenuous to some critics—especially because she’s a millionaire, not a single mom who is struggling financially.
Erika reminded people that she had her own company before she met her late husband.
During the recent speech, she said, “I get this question: ‘You were a stay-at-home mom, that’s what you should go back to doing,’ or something like that. A lot of people don’t realize that before I met Charlie, I had my own company, and I still do.” She explained that she “built it in a way that when [she] got married and had children, it could run on its own” and she “didn’t have to do day-to-day.”
This led to her telling other women that they should prioritize their husbands and kids in that same way. “If you do create a company or a business, and you’re an entrepreneur, build it in a way that it sustains itself, so that when you do find your husband and you have children, family, that’s your main focus,” she advised other women. She tried to tell them that they can technically have both, but “your main focus is your husband and your children.”
Some critics called her out for these comments, with one person on X writing, “SHE’S NEVER HOME WITH HER KIDS BUT WANTS TO LECTURE EVERYONE ELSE.” Others questioned how Erika can have time for her kids when she’s a “full-time grifter.”
Of course, what ended up happening is not what Erika anticipated.
After Charlie was killed in September 2025, Erika became CEO. During the speech, she explained that this was obviously not part of her plan. “Unfortunately, I did not see my life being like this,” she said. “I didn’t. So when people are like, ‘Oh, she’s now in this role,’ I’m honoring what the Lord has put in front of me and I’m also honoring my husband’s request.”
SHE’S NEVER HOME WITH HER KIDS BUT WANTS TO LECTURE EVERYONE ELSE https://t.co/EhbjmQxOmm
— Jamie Bonkiewicz (@JamieBonkiewicz) March 5, 2026
She continued, “And now I have to be the sole provider for my children. And again, this is not a business card opportunity. There is something very Biblical in a woman honoring her husband and stepping up and standing in.”
Critics had something to say about this as well. One of them wrote, “Yeah this is the icing on the cake for me with this woman. Give me a break being the sole provider for your kids, like [you’re] struggling.” Another critic added, “single mom doing it on her own … with literally tens of millions of dollars. ERIKA IS NOT RELATABLE.” Someone else said, “‘Sole provider’ like she was a paycheck away from needing food stamps.”
But, of course, some people jumped to Erika’s defense and said she’s simply a “working mom.” One person who addressed the critics wrote, “So much JUDGMENT from you folks. Is that what you say to every mother who has a career??”
