Erika Kirk's Reputation Unspools Like Cheap Hair Extensions After TPUSA No Show

Erika Kirk gave fuel to the grifter allegations when she was a no-show at a Turning Point USA event that featured JD Vance. The event was held at the University of Georgia and was scheduled to include appearances by Charlie Kirk's widow and the vice president, but when it came time for the TPUSA event on April 14, Vance was present, and Erika was noticeably absent. TPUSA spokesperson, Andrew Kolvet, took her place on the stage opposite the VP and explained that the CEO skipped it over security concerns. "I'm on stage here instead of our friend Erika Kirk because unfortunately she has received some very serious threats in her direction," Kolvet told the crowd, per the New York Post.

Fox News posted to X about Erika missing the TPUSA gathering. Perhaps in an attempt to limit blowback, she reposted the message, claiming it was her "security team's recommendations" that she skip the event. Meanwhile, Vance discussed his decision to attend even while there had been threats. "Obviously these guys [the Secret Service] do a very good job, and I said, 'You know what? Let's let Erika do what she needs to do for herself and her family," the vice president said, per the Post.

Unfortunately for Erika, detractors saw her no-show as evidence that she is a huckster. "The literal Vice President showed up. If it was safe enough for secret service to say that was okay. The truth is that no one is buying what Erika Kirk is selling," one X user wrote. Folks online also used it as an opportunity to point out how Erika never has her family around. "Walking out, she was reportedly heard complaining, 'Now what? I'll have to babysit my own kids?'" another wrote. During the event, Vance came to Erika's defense, but that only gave the trolls more ammo.

After speaking about Erika Kirk making the choice to skip the Turning Point USA event, JD Vance mentioned that he thought people online had been too harsh with her since Charlie Kirk's death. "Everybody is attacking her over everything, and they're lying about her, and it's one of the most disgraceful things that I've ever seen in public life," he told the TPUSA crowd, per the New York Post. The vice president added some strong language in his defense. "The people telling you that Erika wasn't grieving her husband are full of s***," he added.

Seeing the veep go to the mat for Erika wound up providing plenty of fodder for trolls. Previously, affair rumors swirled around JD and Erika to the point that even Usha Vance alluded to the cheating chatter in an interview. When news of Erika exiting the TPUSA appearance spread on social media, jokesters brought up those rumors once again. "Are they staying at the same hotel," one X user playfully asked. "Same hotel? They're staying in the same room," another replied.

Part of the reason Erika had received so much blowback was that many people thought she had often put on a show by fake-crying while making public appearances. At the State of the Union, Erika's haters thought she used crocodile tears to gain sympathy when Donald Trump recognized her during his address. POTUS mentioned Charlie's assassination, then asked Erika to stand for the crowd. She fluttered her eyes and put a hand to her chest, but despite the facial gestures, she didn't appear to actually cry. Erika truthers pointed to what they believed to be faux-waterworks when the clip was shared online. "No matter how much she crimps her face, there's never any tears," one wrote.