Erika Kirk Slammed by Critics for Using Her Daughter as a 'Political and Emotional Prop' on Magazine Cover After Charlie's Murder: 'Totally Inappropriate'

Erika Kirk's recent Vanity Fair profile is being slammed not only for its content, but for its photoshoot.

On social media, commenters took strong issue with the photos of Charlie Kirk's widow that featured one of the couple's two children, accusing her of using their daughter as a "political and emotional prop."

One photo that attracted particular attention shows Erika holding her child and looking at the camera, seemingly on the verge of tears. Her daughter's face is obscured by an oversized baseball hat. Behind them is a bust of Charlie, the conservative activist who was murdered last year at a campus event in Utah.

"It is objectively wrong and totally inappropriate to use your child as a political and emotional prop like this," one X commentator wrote.

"Imagine what she was told to do... 'Think about your father being murdered and cry in my arms... while somebody takes our pictures, so they can be published online,'" they continued.

"That photo is honestly repulsive and disgusting," added another critic. "Erika Kirk is f------ deranged."

"Charlie Kirk would of never been ok with Erika using his daughter in a photo like that," said someone else. "That was ALL about her trying to garner some sympathy from us and no it didn't work Erika. Not even a little bit."

The criticism largely came from conservative critics and followers of Candace Owens, who has been engaged in a bitter feud with Erika ever since Charlie's murder.

In July, Candace predicted that Erika would receive a magazine spread after one of her followers said that Erika had "failed in a bombastic way."

"Instead they are going to put her in a spread for Vanity Fair with her children to pull at our heart strings. Save this tweet. It will age well," Owens responded.

Erika's actions in the year since Charlie's death have often been criticized as performative. Many found it odd when, in the week after her husband's murder, she posted an Instagram video of herself sobbing over his casket.

She then went on to draw criticism for hosting Charlie's funeral in an NFL stadium, replete with a pyrotechnic-filled entrance for her delivery of his eulogy.

She has continued to make appearances alongside members of the Trump administration, including a time she gave Vice President J.D. Vance a much-discussed hug on stage.

Her behavior toward her children has often been scrutinized. Erika notably told her children after Charlie died that he went "on a work trip with Jesus so he could afford your blueberry budget."

The statement was widely criticized by people who felt Erika had inadvertently implied to her children that Charlie's death was their fault.

In November, she revealed that her daughter still asked about when Charlie would return from his blueberry trip.