Kyle Kulinski and Charlie Kirk event photo goes viral after podcaster slammed over Erika Kirk “fake grieving widow grifter" meme

The recent social media controversy involving political commentator Kyle Kulinski has been renewed due to the emergence of an old photo of Kulinski with the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The photo emerged while Kulinski, the host of the Secular Talk podcast, was criticized for posting a meme, titled, "fake grieving widow grifter," mocking Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk.

Kulinski, who has over half a million followers on X, tweeted a "Spirit Halloween" costume image that was photoshopped to mock Erika Kirk as a "fake grieving widow grifter" along with an image of her crying "fake tears" with smeared mascara and holding a bag of cash.

Kyle Kulinski once debated Charlie Kirk at an event for 2 hours then posted it on his YouTube.

Years later he is posting memes about his wife “fake grieving” his death. pic.twitter.com/tAKNxVswWQ

— Unpack With Jack Mac (@UnpackJackMac) November 1, 2025

The tweet received backlash within minutes from journalists, commentators, and podcast hosts across the political spectrum.

"This is extremely ugly behavior, and you should feel ashamed of yourself," Charles C. W. Cooke, a conservative columnist, wrote on X.

Commentator Carol Roth tweeted, "When one of your loved ones dies, someone will be sure to remind you of this." Other users accused Kulinski of crossing a moral line, with Colin Wright, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute stating:

"Politics has rotted your brain and soul."

As the backlash grew, an old photo of Kulinski and Charlie Kirk together at Politicon in Nashville from 2019 began to circulate on social media.

While the photo was taken years earlier during a panel discussion, many commented that it added an ironic twist to the situation by pointing out that Kulinski had once been on a stage with the guy whose widow he was now joking about.

A look into the reason behind Kyle Kulinski's recent actions as JD Vance and Erika Kirk's interaction goes viral

On September 10, Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was killed on a college campus in Utah. He is survived by his wife Erika and two small children.

Since then, Erika has stepped up as CEO of TPUSA and has made several public appearances, including an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters that was emotional. Her presence and leadership have led to mixed reactions from the public, with some critics, including people on both the left and the right, saying she has been too public about her grief.

Just a few days later, controversy about the Kulinski meme exploded onto social media when Erika Kirk stood next to Vice President JD Vance at a Turning Point USA event. The event became a viral moment, as Vance and Erika shared an emotional hug on stage that was widely discussed about the tone and meaning behind it.

Love is in air (within just 1 mth of husband's death) 💕

“No one will ever replace Charlie….but I do see some similarities of my husband in JD…Vice President JD Vance”
~Says Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk.

These words seem out of place…much like her leather pants. pic.twitter.com/wUFprhsBBL

— Sumit (@SumitHansd) October 31, 2025

Photos depicting the VP placing his hands on Erika's hips and her fingers running through his hair fueled discussion about whether it was suitable for the setting. Although there was critique, a lot of people empathized with the context of the moment itself.

Usha Chilukuri Vance, Vance's wife, also attended the event with him, later joining him in conversation.