Erika Kirk fires back as right-wing rumor mill runs wild over tenure at Turning Point USA

A rumor is spreading about Erika Kirk, the widow of deceased far-right youth activist Charlie Kirk, and her future at the organization her husband founded.

And she's having to stamp it out hard.

Specifically, claims have circulated that she will step down from Turning Point USA.

"Erika Kirk will step down from her role in TPUSA," posted right-wing influencer Chase Geiser on X. But shortly after this, Kirk herself responded to the claim.

"First I’m hearing of it," she wrote back.

According to the Hindustan Times, there is a kernel of truth to the rumor — but it got wildly misconstrued.

"Erika Kirk has been massively traumatized following the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25. So much so that she announced that she is briefly stepping down from her role as the Chairman and CEO of TPUSA to cope with the trauma of the shooting," said the report. In response to this, "Multiple social media posts are claiming that Erika Kirk has permanently stepped down as the Turning Point USA boss. The claims were made based on her announcement but lacked the crucial rejoinder that Erika Kirk is stepping down only temporarily. She will soon be back in charge of TPUSA."

This comes after the widowed activist has been the focus of numerous conspiracy theories following the shooting death of her husband at a political event in Utah last year, including unfounded assertions she herself had something to do with the killing.