Candace Owens Slammed For Leaking Phone Call of Erika Kirk Being 'Upbeat' Two Weeks After Charlie Kirk's Death

Candace Owens is facing mounting criticism after releasing a private conference call featuring Erika Kirk, recorded roughly two weeks after the assassination of her husband, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

The leaked audio, shared on Owens' podcast, captured Erika addressing staff following a globally broadcast memorial in Phoenix, Arizona. Owens described Erika's tone as 'extraordinarily upbeat', triggering fierce online backlash and accusations of insensitivity towards the widow.

Erika Kirk's Message to Staff

The call was a motivational Zoom meeting with Turning Point USA employees, many of whom had worked extended hours organising the memorial attended by Donald Trump. Erika praised the staff for their efforts while acknowledging that her optimism might sound unusual so soon after her husband's death.

'It's weird to say that I'm excited. I really hesitate saying that. It's a really weird thing to say,' Erika told employees. She framed her outlook through faith, adding that she felt 'peace knowing that God's using this'.

She also shared post memorial figures, including 'just shy of 100,000 chapter requests, over 300,000 new donors, over 50,000 new hat orders', explaining that the numbers showed the organisation was not paralysed by grief.

Owens' Criticism and Claims

Owens reacted sharply to the call, saying, 'We are not even two weeks after watching your husband be assassinated. We're talking about numbers and metrics that have been hit'. She claimed some TPUSA employees had privately described Erika's tone as 'off-putting'.

Owens also criticised Erika for encouraging staff to take time off if needed, arguing it could make employees feel uncomfortable comparing their grief to that of the widow. 'Imagine you're the employee,' Owens said. 'Would I be pretty weird if I needed to take time off and his wife is saying she's full steam ahead?'

She added that references to Charlie Kirk watching from heaven, combined with laughter during the call, 'made my skin crawl'.

Netizens Turn on Candace Owens

Online reaction quickly shifted focus away from Erika and onto Owens herself. Social media users accused the podcaster of cruelty and obsession.

One commenter wrote, 'I couldn't help but notice the thumbnail of Erika Kirk. Candace is obsessed with Erika to the point it has become psychotic'. Another added, 'You are kicking a widow while she's down and you've even started kicking her ailing mother. You're so brave'.

Some responses were even harsher, with one netizen posting, 'You're evil. I can't believe you're attacking the widow of someone you called a friend'.

Ongoing Feud With TPUSA Leadership

The leaked call is the latest escalation in a long-running public feud between Owens and Turning Point USA's leadership. Owens has repeatedly accused Erika Kirk of exploiting her husband's legacy and steering the organisation in a direction Charlie Kirk never intended.

Erika has previously condemned what she described as 'evil' conspiracy theorists making spurious claims about TPUSA's involvement in her husband's death.

In a Fox News interview last month, she said, 'When you go after the people that I love and you're making hundreds of thousands of dollars every single episode going after the people that I love because somehow they're in on this? No'.

A prior face-to-face meeting between Owens and Erika appeared to establish a truce, though both sides now claim it was broken.