Candace Owens publicly questioned the decision to appoint Erika Kirk as Turning Point USA’s CEO following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Her remarks came during a conversation with Russell Brand, who uploaded a video clip of their discussion on December 9, 2025.
Brand captioned the video with a line spoken by Owens:
“I think they made a managerial error.”
In this video clip, Candace Owens began by analyzing Erika Kirk’s situation and state of mind, explaining that stepping into her husband Charlie Kirk’s position immediately after his death would naturally place her in an overwhelming and frightening position.
She suggested that Erika Kirk was either facing “the greatest evil that ever happened” or was simply “terrified” to suddenly find herself in a “position” where she’s leading the organization.
Candace Owens further emphasized that promoting her instantly created an environment where Erika Kirk would have to answer difficult public questions while still grieving for Charlie Kirk.
“And I think the mistake they made, and I’ve said on my podcast, she should never become the CEO and chairman overnight. Because now when people have questions, you got to answer them, right?” Candace Owens said.
Owens continued by stressing that Erika Kirk’s rapid ascent to leadership blurred the line between grieving widow and organizational head.
“You’re not just a grieving widow, but you very quickly decided that you were equipped to be Charlie. Well, guess what? That’s going to be a trial by fire. Charlie had to go through it. It’s painful. And so people are feeling like, hey, it’s not fair to ask her any questions because her husband just died,” Owens added.
The podcaster also remarked how Erika replacing her husband, Charlie Kirk, immediately after his assassination, was unusual. She noted that most companies would have followed a different process and implemented a different leadership structure, with “interim CEO.”
According to Candace Owens, what “any company would do” was to pause operations “for a couple of months.” She then elaborated on why she viewed Erika Kirk’s decision as a “managerial error,” explaining that appointing a temporary CEO would have created space for the team to properly “grieve” and recognize that TPUSA was entering a new chapter.
Owens emphasized that the organization needed time to “figure things out without the head of the company,” suggesting that a more gradual and measured transition would have ultimately served everyone better.
Candace Owens questions Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk’s role in the TPUSA livestream controversy
The aforementioned instance was not the first time Candace Owens publicly referenced Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, or weighed in on her leadership role.
During the December 6 episode of the Candace podcast and an accompanying post on X, the commentator directly criticized Charlie Kirk’s widow in connection with a dispute over scheduling a livestream intended to address Owens’ allegations about Charlie Kirk’s killing.
The confrontation followed an earlier exchange involving TPUSA member Blake Neff, who appeared on The Charlie Kirk Show and invited Owens to participate in a livestream where the organization’s leadership planned to formally respond to her claims.
Owens initially agreed, but later withdrew after TPUSA allegedly altered the conditions, demanding she appear in person in Phoenix at a time that conflicted with her own recording schedule. Candace Owens maintains she was misled about both the timing and the planned format.
In her December 6 post, Owens questioned Erika Kirk’s involvement, asking:
“TPUSA says it was Erika Kirk who directed them to host a livestream. Did she approve of the letter Blake read?”
On her podcast, linked to this post (shared on December 6), Owens also clarified that despite pulling out of the original livestream, she still wanted both sides to participate in an open and substantive discussion.
She said she was seeking an alternative venue that would allow for meaningful debate and argued that Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk’s participation would fundamentally change the tone of the conversation.
“We can still make this work. And I would like to make this work, and I would especially like to make this work if you are saying or implying that Erica Kirk is going to be there, because the reality is that would be a game changer,” she said.
Owens also contrasted the potential impact of Erika Kirk’s presence with the dynamic she perceived from Blake Neff.
“I think it would be very powerful to have her there to represent the viewpoints in a way that they’re maybe not being shared by Blake Neff, who is incredibly unlikable and speaks down to people, and I don’t know why he does that,” Owens added.
Owens went on to suggest that she might reconsider her participation if TPUSA agreed to an in-person, transparent format in which she would be free to “ask every question under the sun.”
She further framed the next move as belonging entirely to the organization, insisting that TPUSA had the power to resolve the impasse if it chose to do so.
“I want to make this happen. I still think you guys can open up for a live stream. That seems ridiculous as well. Let’s make this work for the people,” she said.
Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. His death sent shockwaves through conservative circles, prompting a swift leadership shift within TPUSA.
By September 18, the organization announced that Erika, the widow of Charlie Kirk, would step in as its new CEO.
Meanwhile, Candace Owens has continued focusing on her Candace podcast, where she has been weighing in on a mix of controversial topics and the more unusual speculation surrounding Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Edited by Shayari Roy
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