Jennifer Welch, co-host of the progressive podcast I've Had It, has launched a blistering attack on Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, branding her a 'grifter' and condemning her late husband's controversial legacy.
A Scathing Video Critique
In a video uploaded to the podcast's YouTube channel on Sunday, Welch did not hold back. She called for Erika Kirk to be 'kicked to the curb,' accusing her of exploiting her gender and status. 'She is an absolute grifter. Just like Donald Trump and just like her unrepentant racist homophobic husband was,' Welch stated emphatically.
The critique was prompted by an interview Erika Kirk gave to The New York Times on Wednesday. In that discussion, Kirk suggested that women in New York City should not rely on government support and should not delay marriage and family. She also remarked on the irony that a large percentage of voters for Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani were women.
Allegations of Hypocrisy and Weaponization
Welch first took issue with Kirk's appearance in the interview, noting she had traded her usual heavy makeup for a more subdued look with a high-neck grey dress. Welch then accused Kirk, a CEO and self-described full-time working mother, of 'weaponizing' her gender to demean other women.
'You are an opportunistic grifter who weaponizes your gender to demean women, and you are a walking, talking, breathing example as to why nobody, number one, wants to be a Christian, and number two, wants to be a female hypocrite such as yourself,' Welch declared.
She continued her condemnation by directly addressing Charlie Kirk's legacy: 'Your deceased husband was an unrepentant racist and a homophobe, and women are a lot more empathic than you are, Erika.' Welch's co-host, Angie Sullivan, added that 'maybe there's more to life than identifying yourself as someone's wife or someone's mother.'
Context of the Controversy
Charlie Kirk, the founder and CEO of the conservative student group Turning Point USA, was murdered in September. Following his death, his wife Erika took over leadership of the organization and embarked on a media tour. During her Times interview, she maintained her support for the Second Amendment despite her husband's death, calling gun violence a 'human problem.'
During his life, Charlie Kirk was known for espousing views widely criticized as racist, sexist, and homophobic. He often argued that women should attend college to find a husband and criticized women for waiting until their 30s to have children. Critics have long pointed out the apparent hypocrisy, noting that Erika Kirk herself earned a degree, founded a nonprofit, and married and had children in her 30s.
This fiery exchange highlights the ongoing cultural and political divides in North American discourse, placing the personal legacy of a controversial figure and the actions of his successor under intense public scrutiny.
