Erika Kirk Went to College and Got Married at 33 — Why Is She Slamming Women for Doing the Same?

Following the murder of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, there was a reshuffling in both the MAGA movement and within the organization itself. Eight days after Kirk's death, Turning Point USA announced in a post to X (formerly Twitter) that his widow would take over as CEO.

During her first public speech since Kirk's murder, Erika Kirk hinted at her ascension. "If you thought my husband's mission was powerful before, you have no idea," she said on his podcast. In a post to X, Turning Point USA COO Tyler Bowery wrote that Kirk came and converted the young men, and Erika is coming to convert the young women. Erika, who has a robust education, has a few thoughts for the ladies that feel hypocritical. Let's get into it.

While speaking with DealBook editor-at-large Andrew Ross Sorkin at the 2025 DealBook Summit, Kirk was asked about New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani. She pointed out that a high percentage of Mamdani's voters were young women, and said she hopes they won't "look to the government as a solution to put off having a family or a marriage" because they are relying on the government to support them.

Before Erika married Charlie Kirk when she was 33 and he was 27, she had already earned Political Science and International Relations degrees from Arizona State University, per her website. She went on to earn her Juris Master in American Legal Studies from Liberty University, where she is currently pursuing a doctorate in biblical studies. Erika also describes herself as an entrepreneur who created a faith-based clothing line in 2018.

One could argue that Erika put off getting married and having a family so she could complete her education and start her own business, and yet she tells women that's not a great idea. At the DealBook Summit, Andrew inquired about balancing family life with her new status as CEO of Turning Point USA. Erika said there is no such thing as balance, it's always a give and take, then skirted the question by saying it's not about her but rather the legacy Kirk left behind.

At the Young Women’s Leadership Summit in June 2025, Erika said there is a call for the Biblical revival of womanhood. According to Erika, Biblical womanhood involves raising her daughter to be a "little warrior" who "wears modesty like armor, carries truth like a torch, and conviction like a crown."

Erika addressed the women in the room who were in college and told them that their degree will fade, as will the opinions of their professors. She went on to say that culture is telling women they aren't doing enough by saying things like, "You need to own a business by the time you're 23," or "go viral on Instagram."

According to Erika, you can always have a career, but children, family, your husband, and marriage are not renewable resources. Again, Erika did not exactly practice what she was preaching.