'Sick': Left-Wing Host Mocks Erika Kirk as 'Fake Widow,' The Internet Reacts

Left-wing commentator Kyle Kulinski is facing fierce condemnation after posting a meme mocking Erika Kirk, the widow of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, branding her a 'fake grieving widow grifter'.

Kulinski, host of the Secular Talk podcast and followed by more than 500,000 users on X (formerly Twitter), shared a spoof image styled after the viral 'Spirit Halloween costume' meme format.

The edited picture featured Erika Kirk with exaggerated black tear streaks, labelled as 'fake tear drops', and described her outfit as 'skin-tight black leather mourning pants'. The photoshopped costume package also showed her holding a bag overflowing with cash.

The meme, shared from the official Secular Talk account, gained more than 6.4 million views as of Sunday morning, sparking a wave of outrage across the political spectrum. Many accused Kulinski of crossing a moral line by mocking a woman still grieving her husband, who was shot dead during a university event in Utah on 10 September.

Charlie Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), was killed while addressing students. Since his death, Erika Kirk has stepped in as the organisation's chief executive officer.

One user wrote in the New York Post: 'One of the best indicators of a person's character is how they treat someone who can do nothing back, or in this case, a grieving widow who lost her husband and the father of her children to an assassin.'

'Ugly Human Being': Fury Over 'Cruel' Meme

Condemnation of Kulinski's post came from both left and right. Many social media users called him an 'ugly human being' for what they described as a cruel and unnecessary attack on a widow.

Commentator Blaire White said: 'No one is requiring you to mourn Charlie Kirk. They're asking you not to be a piece of sh*t who celebrates brutal murder.' Her post alone received tens of thousands of likes, with many echoing her call for basic decency.

Anna Khachiyan, co-host of the left-leaning Red Scare podcast, criticised Kulinski's meme, writing: 'God, some of you are awful. I don't know how you reconcile your love for family and friends with such nihilistic contempt for your ideological enemies.'

Conservative writer Charles C. W. Cooke called the post 'extremely ugly', adding: 'You should feel ashamed of yourself. The only person this reflects poorly on is you.'

Colin Wright, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, accused Kulinski of allowing partisanship to eclipse empathy, writing: 'Politics has rotted your brain and soul.'

Business commentator Carol Roth added bluntly: 'When one of your loved ones passes, someone will remind you of this.'

Neither the Kirk family nor Kulinski have commented publicly on the controversy.

Debate Over Public Mourning

While many have rallied behind Erika Kirk, others including some from the far right have accused her of returning to public life too soon after her husband's death.

Far-right commentator Nick Fuentes, an ideological rival of Kirk's despite sharing a similar audience, said in September: 'I really don't like how Turning Point USA has been handling his death. It's gratuitous.'

Some critics have questioned the tone of TPUSA events featuring Erika Kirk, which have included lights, cheering crowds and pyrotechnics. Supporters counter that she is honouring her husband's legacy by continuing their shared mission and taking on his leadership role.

When Political Satire Crosses the Line

The meme format used by Kulinski is widely employed online to mock public figures, yet many observers said applying it to a recent widow went far beyond acceptable satire.

One X user summed up the mood: 'There's plenty to criticise in politics, but mocking a grieving widow isn't one of them. It only shows who you are.'

The controversy underscores the deepening toxicity of US political culture, where personal grief and tragedy are increasingly weaponised for viral outrage.

As one commenter put it: 'She lost her husband to political violence. If you can't show decency in that moment, when can you?'

For many, this latest episode serves as a reminder that even in the digital age of relentless polarisation, some boundaries still matter.