At the New York Times DealBook Summit, Charlie Kirk’s widow and Turning Point USA successor made calls for unity, but floundered when she was challenged on her husband’s most controversial views.
BY ERIN VANDERHOOFDECEMBER 4, 2025
https://archive.is/sH1kj#selection-507.0-519.174
As a grieving widow and the CEO of one of the country’s most powerful right-wing groups, Erika Kirk is in a tough position when it comes to coherent political messaging. It’s been nearly three months since her husband, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, was murdered, and she’s had to live out a national nightmare in public. In a Fox News docuseries and an array of speeches, Kirk has embodied composure onstage and made pleas for political unity. At least, until her culture-warrior side comes out.
During an appearance at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit on Wednesday, Kirk started by wistfully recalling a less polarized era when Republicans and Democrats would share lunch after “duking it out” on the House floor. Later, she promoted a divisive view of her own by insinuating that female voters supported New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani for reasons beyond his policy positions.
“A high percentage of his voters were female,” she said. “I think there’s a tendency, when you live in a city like Manhattan—where, again, you are so career-driven, and you almost look to the government as a form of replacement for certain things. Relationship-wise, even. So you see things a little bit differently.”
Did she mean to say that female voters were all crushing on Mamdani? Kirk paused before offering a slight clarification. “What I don’t want to have happen is have young women in the city look to the government for a solution, to put off having a family or a marriage because you’re relying on the government to support you—instead of relying on a husband. Where you can support yourself, and your husband can support, and you can all combine together,” she said.
Times columnist and DealBook founder Andrew Ross Sorkin didn’t seem to know how to respond, so he pivoted. “Uh…JD Vance?” he replied, asking Kirk what she thought of the vice president’s prospects in 2028.
Though Kirk has become a national figure since the death of her husband, her selection as the closing speaker at the annual summit for the Times’ business vertical was unexpected. But Sorkin explained the reason for the invitation when Kirk walked onstage. About a year ago, he said, he met and befriended Charlie. The two texted frequently about their political disagreements.
“Charlie Kirk was supposed to be here today. He was supposed to be a part of a task force we have been talking about for some time,” Sorkin said. He decided to extend the invitation to Erika Kirk instead after she introduced President Donald Trump at her husband’s televised memorial service. “I watched the funeral from my computer, and I sat in awe as you forgave the assassin. It was that moment that I said, ‘I need to talk to Erika,’” Sorkin said.
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And then there’s this:
