“Recording her crying”: Candace Owens slams Erika Kirk kissing Charlie Kirk casket as filmed funeral video draws criticism

Candace Owens is once again in a public fight with Turning Point USA, and this time it centers on Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk. What began as online criticism about a funeral video has now turned into a sharp exchange between Owens and a producer from The Charlie Kirk Show. The situation grew after commentator Zach Costello posted a video on X showing Erika Kirk leaning over and kissing her husband Charlie Kirk’s casket while someone recorded the moment.

Zach Costello wrote, “Alright, if I die, and my wife has her friend record her doing this over my casket for a social media moment, I hereby grant you permission to criticize her for it. Everyone was rooting for Erika Kirk and TPUSA after Charlie died. They are the ones who turned everyone off…”


Candace Owens responded strongly. She wrote, “The worst part is that it wasn’t her friend recording it. It was the head of fundraising at Turning Point USA. Erika did not bring a single personal friend or family member to Utah with her. There is no amount of propaganda that will ever make that normal. Mind you, the Vice President offered to fly people in aboard Air Force 2. Charlie’s entire family flew in. Erika chose to be comforted by Stacy Sheridan recording her crying.”

Candace Owens and Ryan Marty clash as Charlie Kirk funeral video fallout deepens and Turning Point USA faces mounting backlash

This is not the only time Candace Owens and Erika Kirk have been in controversy. Earlier on February 13, independent journalist Elizabeth Lane posted a long thread on X questioning Erika Kirk’s actions after Charlie Kirk’s death. Later, Daily Wire host Megan Basham pushed back and told critics to watch Charlie Kirk’s old videos to see how much he loved his wife.

Candace Owens then claimed that episodes of The Charlie Kirk Show had been removed from Spotify, Apple, and YouTube about six weeks after Charlie Kirk’s death. Ryan Marty, a producer for the show, denied that claim. He wrote that he “exclusively runs the CK YouTube” and said “nothing was deleted.” He added that full episodes were never posted on YouTube, only clips.

The argument turned personal when Ryan Marty referred to Candace Owens as a “low IQ DEI queen” in a February 12 post. Candace Owens said the remark pointed at her race. Ryan Marty later replied that DEI “has nothing to do with race.”

Candace Owens responded by saying, “It is difficult to put into words the audacity of Turning Point USA in their lies and subsequent gaslighting… I am sorry but this is just pathetic.” She also tagged Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet and asked why her race was being mentioned and why she was compared to Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

As the back-and-forth continued, podcaster Candace Owens wrote, “They have absolutely no arguments anymore. We’re basically now at ‘she’s black and stupid’.” She also invited critics to debate her live and said, “Offer still stands. Should be pretty easy to win a debate against a ‘DEI-hire.’” In a recent episode of her podcast, Candace Owens hinted at a new series called “Fatal Attraction,” focused on Erika Kirk.