Erika Kirk experienced an ironic verbal stumble this weekend during Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest. While presenting the inaugural Charlie Kirk Courage Award to student Caleb Chilcutt on Saturday, the activist’s widow accidentally substituted a controversial word when praising the recipient’s resilience.
“Despite the devastating loss of Charlie Kirk… Caleb has persisted with the same grift,” she said on stage. After struggling to correct herself with “gift,” she finally settled on the intended word, “grit.” Blaming the error on a long day, she reassured Chilcutt, “Trust me, you’re not a grifter, honey. It’s all good.”
The gaffe immediately caught the attention of critics who have accused Kirk of capitalizing on her husband’s high-profile assassination in September. On X, author Richard Hanania called it “the greatest Freudian slip of all time,” while attorney Gary Douglas labeled her the “queen” of such errors on Threads. Comedian Deven Green also mocked the incident, writing on BlueSky, “Erika Kirk, a grift that keeps grifting.”
Since Charlie Kirk’s death, Erika has stepped up as the primary face of Turning Point USA. She has engaged in a media blitz to continue his mission of promoting a nativist, fundamentalist Christian worldview, though this recent on-stage fumble has provided fresh ammunition for her detractors.
