Candace Owens Calls Leaked Erika Kirk Audio “Off-Putting” After Charlie Kirk Memorial
Just when it appeared tensions had cooled between Candace Owens and Erika Kirk, new controversy has surfaced following the release of leaked audio recorded shortly after Charlie Kirk’s death.
During a recent episode of her YouTube show, Owens reacted to a clip in which Erika Kirk is heard thanking Turning Point USA staff for organizing her late husband’s public memorial service. In the recording, Erika Kirk repeatedly references attendance figures, voter registrations, and merchandise sales tied to the event—remarks Owens described as unsettling given the circumstances.
“The general tone is off-putting,” Owens said on air. “The laughter is off-putting. We are not even two weeks removed from watching her husband be assassinated, and we’re talking about numbers and metrics that have been hit.”
“Event of the Century” Remarks Draw Scrutiny
In the audio, Erika Kirk refers to the memorial as the “event of the century,” citing an estimated 275,000 attendees, overflow crowds, and what she described as massive engagement across voter registrations and merchandise sales.
“I don’t even know where to begin,” she can be heard saying. “The fact that we were able to pull off an event of a century—it’s just insane.”
She went on to thank multiple Turning Point USA teams, acknowledging staff members who worked extended hours “during the time of us grieving the loss of my husband.”
Charlie Kirk’s public memorial was held at State Farm Stadium, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. The service featured large-scale production elements, including pyrotechnics and speeches from high-profile conservative figures such as Vice President J.D. Vance.
Since Charlie Kirk’s death, Erika Kirk has stepped into a leadership role at Turning Point USA, overseeing operations and public messaging.
Owens Questions Tone and Timing
Owens emphasized that her criticism was not about grief itself but about presentation.
“We know everybody grieves differently,” she said. “But in my imagination, I thought she would be more upset.”
Owens suggested that Erika Kirk appeared to have reached the “acceptance stage” of grief unusually quickly, noting that the focus on metrics felt disconnected from the tragedy.
Old Wounds Reopened After Prior Truce
The renewed friction follows a December meeting between Owens and Erika Kirk, prompted by Owens’ earlier claims that details surrounding Charlie Kirk’s death were being withheld. After that meeting, both women publicly described the conversation as productive.
Owens later wrote on social media that the discussion lasted more than four hours, saying “absolutely nothing was held back” and that tensions had been thawed.
Whether that truce still holds is now unclear. Owens’ latest remarks suggest that whatever understanding existed may once again be under strain—proof that, in political media circles, even memorials are not immune from controversy.
