Elderly Target employee Jeanie Beeman honored on stage at AmericaFest days after Charlie Kirk t-shirt fiasco

Jeanie Beeman, the viral Target employee, appeared on AmericaFest on December 20. The crowd welcomed her with a standing ovation and a loud cheer.

For the unversed, Beeman went viral on TikTok on December 15, when Michelea Ponce confronted her for wearing a red Charlie Kirk Freedom t-shirt. The incident occurred at a store in Chico, California.

When Ponce asked her why she was wearing it and whether she knew what Kirk stood for, Jeanie calmly said she did not want to argue and left after wishing her a good day.

The video went viral, with netizens praising the elderly Target employee for staying calm. A GiveSendGo fundraiser was organized to support her financially, raising over $260,000.

Notably, Michelea Ponce has apologized to Jeanie. Meanwhile, on AmericaFest, Beeman was asked about what she liked about Charlie Kirk, and she replied that she liked his views on God and the way he talked to college students.

Jeanie Beeman was then asked about how she felt about the GiveSendGo fundraiser and the significant amount of money Charlie Kirk supporters raised for her.

The Target employee thanked the donors and wished that everyone were amicable with each other, noting that Charlie would have wanted that as well.

BREAKING: Jeanie, the woman who was harassed at Target for wearing a Charlie Kirk shirt, just joined me ON STAGE at AmericaFest.

Patriots have donated over $260,000+ to her since the incident where she defended Charlie's name.

From being harassed at work to standing on stage at… pic.twitter.com/5I72rEN4Et

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 20, 2025

Erika Kirk met Jeanie Beeman at AmericaFest

As the elderly woman's clips are going viral on X, Charlie Kirk's widow and the current CEO of Turning Point USA, Erika, met Jeanie backstage at the AmericaFest show. She uploaded a small clip of their interaction on the social media platform.

Erika Kirk hugged Beeman and conversed with her. On X, she wrote that she loved Jeanie's "courage," and thanked her for being a part of her late husband's "legacy."

"Such a precious moment with sweet Jeanie Beeman at AmFest 2025. Thank you for being a part of my Charlie's legacy. I love your courage. God bless you," Erika wrote.

In other news, Jeanie Beeman has told the media that she does not want Michelea Ponce to face any harsh consequences, as losing her job or getting arrested.

The Target employee said that even though she was "wronged," she does not wish to "wrong" Michelea.

"Two wrongs don't make a right. She wronged me, but I don't want to wrong her... I really wouldn't want to see her lose her job over it," Beeman said.

Debbie Smiley, Ponce's mother, gave a statement to the Northstates News, saying that she and her family do not support Michelea's actions and personal beliefs. She apologized to Jeanie Beeman on behalf of her daughter.

The elderly employee has stated that she wishes to retire and use the donated money to pay her bills.

Meanwhile, a new GoFundMe fundraiser has been raised by Cassandra Fairbanks. She claimed that she wants Jeanie to go on a vacation or spend it for Christmas.

Out of the $12,000 target, over $10,000 has been raised so far. Fairbanks shared that she would personally hand over the money to Jeanie Beeman.

Stay tuned for more updates on the viral Target employee.