What to Know
When Erika Kirk took over as the CEO of Turning Point USA following husband Charlie Kirk’s death in 2025, she raised the bar for other women knee-deep in conservative politics. For Erika, it’s about having it all as a mother who is also working. Despite Charlie being openly against mothers working, but we don’t have to get into that now.
At a Turning Point USA event in June 2026, Erika spoke to a large audience of women and urged them to see how they too can have it all. For these women, feminism is about equality and embracing motherhood despite any potential pitfalls. Apparently, that includes the very real financial roadblocks, because according to Eriks, pish posh.
Erika Kirk advised women to have lots of kids.
@cnn CNN's Elle Reeve traveled to the Turning Point Women's Leadership Summit this month where speakers railed against feminism, but the attendees had a more nuanced approach.
♬ original sound – CNN
Alright, Erika didn’t actually say “pish posh” on-stage at the TPUSA event. But she did urge the women watching her and hanging on her every word to consider how they can fall in love like she did and have kids too. Though, according to Erika, people should have way more kids than they can handle.
At the Turning Point Women’s Leadership Summit, Erika said, “Fall in love, get married, and have more kids than you can afford.” It’s something she has said before, and it has a nice ring to it, sure. It’s almost whimsical, in a way. But that’s where the reality ends. There is little that is realistic about being able to just have tons of kids without a care for how much money it costs to raise a family, especially if you are a one-income household.
She said the same thing at a May 2026 TPUSA event. At the time, Erika also told the thousands in attendance, “I just want to encourage all of you, to the men, you are called to provide, you are called to lead, to anchor your families in strength and consistency. To the women, you are called to nurture, to build, to shape lives with wisdom and endurance. These are not secondary callings. They are among the most significant ways a life can be rightly ordered.”
Some say she is out of touch with what it means to be a parent in the current economy.
After CNN posted a clip from Erika’s speech at the June 2026 event on TikTok, users commented to share just how out of touch Erika is when it comes to the world outside of her bubble. She, presumably, does not have to worry about money, even as she continues to work. But if she didn’t work, unlike many women in the U.S., she might be just fine financially.
One user commented, of what Erika said about having kids, “No please do not do that…sincerely child protection lawyer.”
Another person wrote, “People do not realize how traumatic poverty can be for children.”
Someone also joked, “I have zero kids and that’s more than I can afford so…”
Women who want kids even clapped back at her for her comments.
Those who do want kids also had an issue with what Erika said. It’s one thing to hear from people who might prefer to be child-free, but moms and hopeful mothers also commented on the video on TikTok to clap back at Erika. No one wants to have kids when they aren’t financially stable. With the economy the way it is under the Trump Administration for Donald Trump’s second term, a lot of women don’t see a way out.
