Fact Check: Did Erika Kirk work for Trump’s beauty pageant?

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Following Charlie Kirk’s funeral, images and video clips showing Donald Trump embracing Erika Kirk, who now serves as TPUSA’s CEO, sparked rumors and speculation regarding her previous connections with the president.

However, Erika Kirk’s participation in the 2012 Miss USA pageant is factual, but there are claims that she later worked for Donald Trump’s Miss USA or Miss Universe pageants.

Donald Trump’s history with Erika Kirk

Social media posts claimed that Erika had represented Arizona in the 2012 Miss USA competition, which was owned by Trump at the time, and claimed she later worked as a casting director in the organization professionally.

Some posts suggested that her pageant experience and subsequent career in modeling and casting connected her professionally to Trump’s organization.

Fact Check: Erika Kirk did not work for Trump’s Miss USA pageant

While it is true that Erika Kirk competed in the 2012 Miss USA pageant, there is no verified evidence that she subsequently worked for Trump or any entity within the Miss Universe Organization as a casting director.

Erika won the title of Miss Arizona USA in 2012 and went on to compete in that year’s Miss USA pageant, a segment of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO). From 1996 to 2015, Donald Trump co-owned MUO, which included Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA.

Following her Miss Arizona USA victory, Erika pursued modeling and worked as a casting director in New York City. Since this period coincided with Trump’s tenure as co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, some online sleuths speculated that her casting work might have involved his pageants.

However, her official website and Wikipedia page do not explicitly name Trump's organizations as employers.

Erika also worked as an entrepreneur of Christian-themed clothing in Manhattan before meeting Charlie Kirk in 2018 , but none of these sources link her employment to Trump-owned pageants.

Erika Kirk’s professional and personal accomplishments are well-documented. She founded the nonprofit Everyday Heroes Like You at age 17, launched the BIBLEin365 ministry, and created a faith-based clothing line called Proclaim. She studied political science and international relations at Arizona State University and earned a Juris Master’s degree from Liberty University.

How did Charlie Kirk meet Erika?

Erika, the widow of Charlie Kirk, gave supporters a glimpse into one of her favorite memories by posting a video of her late husband recounting the story of how they met.

In the video, Charlie sits at Bill’s Burgers in New York City with the couple’s young daughter on his lap. Pointing to the spot where their love story began, he explained:

“Story time: We’re at Bill’s Burgers in New York City, and right near this very table was the first time Dada met Mama. And it started as a job interview. I was asking all these questions: philosophy, religion, Jesus. And then I realized Mama was beautiful and smart and elegant and Christ-like. And so I said, ‘Forget this job interview, I want to date you.’”

Erika captioned the post, “My favorite love story.” 

Charlie proposed to Erika in December 2020. The pair married in May 2021, less than a year later.