Trump urges Erika Kirk to sue, says people are 'jealous' of Charlie Kirk's widow

President Donald Trump said Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, should sue those who have maligned her character and spread conspiracy theories about the assassination of her husband at a Turning Point USA event.

Speaking at the Easter Lunch at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he was “delighted to join the countless Christians across the country and around the world” in preparing to celebrate the holiday. 

As he addressed the room, the president spotted Erika Kirk, and he said, “Hello, darling! Wow. There’s a good table. I like that table. You’re doing well, right?” 

“I think you should sue ‘em,” Trump told her before addressing the rest of the room. “I told her, ‘You oughta sue some of these.’ They’re so jealous of Erika. I said, ‘You oughta sue their —’ I can say it; you’re not allowed to say this; you have to be nicer. Sue their a— off.”

Last month, Trump appointed Erika Kirk to serve on the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors. The president had initially planned for Charlie Kirk to serve on the board before the TPUSA founder’s murder. 

Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, 2025, during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University, conspiracy theories about Erika Kirk and the circumstances surrounding her husband’s death have circulated online. 

During a town hall with CBS News' editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, held on Dec. 13, 2025, the widow was asked to address the conspiracy theories. Many viewers inferred that the question alluded to the theories pushed by former TPUSA employee and media personality Candace Owens.

Addressing what she would say, Erika Kirk replied, "Stop. That's it. That's all I have to say. Stop."

Owens has dedicated multiple episodes of her podcast to discussing theories about Charlie Kirk’s murder, some of which have included foreign involvement from Israel, Egypt or France. 

She has also claimed that people at TPUSA “betrayed” Charlie Kirk and accused the organization of engaging in a cover-up. Earlier this year, TPUSA sent the podcast host a cease-and-desist letter demanding that she “cease her disparaging comments” about the organization.

On her podcast this week, Owens reacted to a clip of Trump telling Erika Kirk to sue, remarking that the president is “fully Jewish now.” 

“He’s just like all of the Israelis,” she said. “Sue, if your feelings are hurt! Sue! Sue!”

“There’s something that’s just so middle school about this,” Owens added. “No! We want to know who killed Charlie Kirk. So, could you park aside the lawyers and get information for us, Trump?” 

While authorities arrested Tyler Robinson in connection with the assassination of Charlie Kirk, some, like Owens, have suggested that there is “[nonexistent] evidence” against the 22-year-old suspect.  

Robinson allegedly fired a shot at the TPUSA founder while he was in the middle of answering a question from an audience member about mass shootings committed by trans-identifying individuals. The suspect is alleged to have murdered Charlie Kirk over his political views, including on issues like transgenderism.

Authorities have also said that Robinson texted his trans-identifying roommate, Lance Twiggs, after the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, asking him to "look under my keyboard,” which investigators say referred to a handwritten note.

Twiggs told the police about a note left by Robinson that he found under a keyboard, which read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”

A preliminary hearing for Robinson is scheduled for May 18. According to a recent court filing, Utah prosecutors overseeing the case against the suspect intend to call Twiggs and the suspect’s family members to testify at the preliminary hearing.

Robinson's defense team is seeking to postpone the hearing, stating they need more time to review the evidence. Court filings from the defense highlighted the results of a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives analysis that found a damaged bullet jacket fragment recovered during Kirk’s autopsy could not be matched to a rifle recovered by law enforcement. 

While the defense argued that this “inconclusive” result could be “exculpatory,” prosecutors have said that the analysis does not undermine the case against Robinson, as the fragment’s condition is likely the reason for the “inconclusive” result.