"Widows smile" - Internet defends Erika Kirk after her photo from the TPUSA's winter gala at Mar-a-Lago goes viral as "The epitome of 'grief'"

Charlie Kirk's company, TPUSA, hosted its 8th annual winter gala in Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club at Palm Beach over the weekend (December 6 and 7). 

As per the company's website, the event was called Building a Legacy, and was a tribute to its former CEO, who was assassinated earlier this year (on September 10).

Since Erika Kirk had assumed the company's CEO role after her husband's passing, she was naturally attending the event. 

On Tuesday, December 9, a picture from the gala, where Erika Kirk was standing next to a friend and smiling with a raised thumb, was shared to X by @ImBreckWorsham, with her caption mocking the widow, writing:

"The epitome of 'grief'."

The tweet has since gone viral, attracting the ire of the netizens for her dig at Erika Kirk. Some pointed out that Erika wasn't condemned to never smile again because her husband passed away.

Podcaster and author Mary Katharine Ham pointed out that widows indeed smile, writing,"

"Widows smile"

Widows smile. Widows function. Widows raise their children and work jobs. Widows read the Bible and pray and have dark moments behind closed doors, often shielding other people from them. Hope this helps. pic.twitter.com/PZ6CqYbU5f

— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) December 8, 2025

Others echoed the same sentiment:

"Yes, God forbid a widow ever smiles again (even when she's with her friends as she is here) for the rest of her life" - commented an X user.

"Tasteless post. A widow can smile again, especially when she knows her husband is with Jesus." - wrote another.

"This is sick. Please delete this. It’s disgusting to see this mean girl behavior toward a woman who had her husband murdered. Widows still have fleeting moments of joy. Do you want to steal every sliver of joy she has left? Really search your soul on this. It’s truly sick." - added another.

Meanwhile, others pointed out the irony of the fact that no matter whether Erika Kirk smiled or cried, people somehow always ended up finding a fault with it. 

"When she cries you guys say she's faking being sad for attention and when she smiles you say it's evidence she doesn't care" - replied a fourth netizen.

"Someday, when you lose someone you love, remember what you said about Erika." - posted a fifth one.

"Wait a minute...you want her in a corner sucking her thumb and punching the wall? Widows don't smile? This is weird." - tweeted a sixth one.

"People who make posts like this have never experienced grief." - commented a seventh netizen.

​Erika Kirk spoke about Charlie Kirk's final book 

Besides her viral picture from the TPUSA Winter Gala, Erika Kirk's revelation about her husband's final book is also making headlines. 

Erika joined Sean Hannity on Fox News on December 8, where she unveiled Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life. Speaking about the book, Erika claimed that Charlie was "fiercely proud" of his book, adding:

"In this book, Charlie talks about how important it is – to put your phone down, engage with your family. Pour into them. That’s your legacy." 

Erika also praised Charlie's own practice of the Sabbath at home, elaborating:

"At first, it started with an hour, two hours. But then once he fully incorporated it into his life, he totally elevated. He became a next-level husband, which I didn’t even think was possible because he was already so incredible to me and the babies."

Hannity also highlighted the message of Charlie's book, speaking about how "real rest" meant "being present with your family". He also complimented Kirk as a "biblical scholar" on the show. 

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