Erika Kirk Accused of Using Her Kids as 'Props' in 'Performative' Social Media Photos — Nearly 8 Months After Husband Charlie's Public Assassination
Erika Kirk's husband, Charlie, was shot and killed at a speaking engagement in Utah in 2025.
May 7 2026, Updated 7:20 p.m. ET
Erika Kirk faced backlash after sharing photos of her children on social media just before Mother's Day weekend, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Over the past eight months, Erika, 37, has been criticized for spending her time making flashy public appearances and taking on multiple new professional roles since her late husband Charlie Kirk's assassination last year, causing some social media users to believe she only made the post to prove the haters wrong.
What Did Erika Kirk's Post Say?
Erika Kirk appreciated the 'blessings' she still has in her life in the Instagram update.
On Wednesday, May 6, Erika reflected on the "blessings" in her life as she shared several photos and videos of her kids.
"The blessings hidden in ordinary days. The blessings in adventures with my little love captured backstage. The blessings of sharing encouraging and soul filled love notes written from around the world with the team," she captioned the pictures. "The blessings of visits with Auntie Mary & discovering a sweet surprise on our walk."
She also said she was blessed for being able to see her children's faces light up with "joy" and to watch old videos of Charlie making them "laugh" with "food he loved," seemingly referring to her throwback clip she posted of the late conservative commentator preparing to eat In-n-Out Burger.
"The blessings of having the best little buddy for daily Bible readings...the blessings of our little family; hand in hand…we promise to make you proud daddy. We love you endlessly," she concluded.
Erika Kirk Slammed by Critics
Erika and Charlie Kirk welcomed two children together before his assassination.
Critics flooded the comments section accusing her of being "attention seeking" and "using" her two young children for clicks.
One user wrote, "Wow! Now the kids are props. Nice product placement with the chips!!" and another person replied, "Every single post feels more performative and manufactured than the last."
A third critic theorized, "Soooo, you got mad because people kept saying that you were never with your kids so you had to post a bunch of pictures and videos with your kids… got it," as a fourth agreed, "Signal the 'see I spend time with my kids' post."
"Lmao she finally showing she a mom on mother's Day creeping up.. girl bye," another critic quipped.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt left words of support for Erika Kirk.
But Erika also received words of love and support from her followers.
One fan penned, "That first picture. Blow it up and frame it! Beautiful," and another chimed in, "Precious pictures of your children!! Pray for you and your family daily!! Be Strong."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and reality star Savannah Chrisley also both left her comments that said they "love" her.
Erika Kirk Wanted More Kids
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Erika Kirk revealed that she had been hoping she was pregnant after her husband's death.
Last November, during an appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, Erika admitted that she'd been "praying to God" that she was "pregnant" after Charlie was fatally shot.
"We wanted to have four," Erika noted at the time. "I was like, oh, goodness, that was going to be the ultimate blessing out of this catastrophe."
"When I see young couples, I tell them, 'Please, don't put it off.' Especially if you're a young woman. Don't put it off, you can always have a career, you can always, you know, go back to work," she continued. "You can never just go back to having children. And they grow so fast and so quickly."
