Ivanka Trump Tries Her Hand At Crocodile Tears, But Erika Kirk Keeps The Crown

Ivanka Trump became emotional while speaking out about Donald Trump's assassination attempt, but not everyone was convinced it was an authentic reaction. The first daughter appeared on "The Diary of A CEO" podcast on April 9, where host Steve Bartlett asked where she was when Donald was shot during a campaign rally in July 2024. Ivanka recalled watching the ordeal live on television. "It was almost real time, before he had stood back up ... It was incredibly difficult," she said, seemingly choking back tears. "I was horrified and I was scared and I was protective of my children, but I also didn't believe like the worst possible outcome had transpired," Ivanka told Bartlett. The former "The Apprentice" star spoke slowly and deliberately during the response, as if she were re-living the moment. "I just feel ... incredibly lucky that he was protected on that day," Ivanka said, in a wavering voice as she seemed to be on the precipice of bawling. 

Ivanka Trump says she found out about the assassination attempt on her father from the TVs near the pool at Trump Bedminster, where President Trump was scheduled to meet her family later that evening:

"Two of my children were there, so my first reaction was to turn them away." pic.twitter.com/hkOV1nB9ac

— johnny maga (@johnnymaga) April 9, 2026

Footage of Ivanka's near-cry reaction was shared online, where many people accused her of attempting to put on the waterworks just to gain sympathy. "That smile with the fake crocodile tears looks demonic," one X user replied. The quasi-emotional response from Ivanka led to an outpouring of backlash from members of the Twitterati. Many compared her "crocodile tears" to Erika Kirk's, as Charlie Kirk's widow has frequently attempted to put on the waterworks during interviews. "Clearly, #ErikaKirk has been #IvankaTrump's drama coach," one chided. 

Erika had previously been roasted online for constantly dabbing her face with a tissue while being interviewed by Jesse Watters during a media tour in November. That wasn't the only time Erika was accused of faux-crying.

At the 2026 State of the Union in February, Erika Kirk was moved to tears, but many haters thought it was just another example of her using theatrics. Donald Trump evoked Charlie Kirk during his address and stopped his speech to recognize Erika in the crowd. "His wonderful wife, Erika, is with us tonight ... Thank you, Erika. She's been through a lot," the president said while asking her to stand up to receive recognition. The former beauty pageant queen remained seated, however, and at first solemnly bowed her head. Erika then put her hand over her heart and repeatedly mouthed "Bless you." Mentioning the Turning Point USA CEO brought on a "Charlie" chant from the crowd, as Erika kept fluttering her eyes, which looked to well up as she appeared on the verge of tears. 

Footage of the near-tear moment from the SOTU was shared on X, where multiple users made the same observation. "No matter how much she crimps her face, there's never any tears," a person wrote. "She tried so hard to squeeze out a tear and it just didn't happen," another replied. Erika was also called out for displaying the same behavior the following month.

In March, Sarah Huckabee Sanders posted a video to Instagram celebrating Arkansas opening up school chapters of Turning Point USA across the state. The clip showed her speaking to Erika, who had her head bowed reverentially (again). Another post from Sanders showed a pic of Erika speaking to the crowd while she stared at the heavens, fighting back tears. Multiple people popped up in the comment section accusing Charlie's widow of huckster behavior. "Acting skills 2/10," one cynical Instagram user wrote.