Social media users are reeling after resurfaced photos and historical ties revealed an unexpectedly close link between Erika Kirk and President Donald Trump.
Long before her rise to political prominence, Erika was known as Erika Frantzve, a beauty pageant contestant who competed in the 2012 Miss USA pageant, then co-owned by Trump through the Miss Universe Organization.
It wasn't long before someone noticed the link between Trump and the now-Mrs Kirk
Donald Trump and Erika Kirk go back further than you'd think
One user on X (formerly Twitter) posted bikini shots from her pageant days and wrote: “Oooooh. Erika Kirk competed in the 2012 Miss USA competition, which was owned by Trump."
"Her talent portion for the Miss Arizona contest was performing a dribbling exhibition with two balls.
"Her website still lists contact info to book her for modeling and acting," they added.
While many are aware that the 79-year-old president owned the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants from the 1990s through 2015, few knew Erika had competed in both, or how directly Trump was involved.
According to The New Yorker, Trump often had a say in hand-picking winners and commenting on contestants.
Erika won Miss Arizona USA on her 23rd birthday in 2011, securing her spot at the 2012 nationals.
Before the event, she told AZ Foothills Magazine: “Don’t tell anyone, but that sparkly tiara is only a little plastic hat.
"What really matters is making a difference, and I want to change the world.
"The bling is just a bonus.”
Adding to the speculation, some people claimed that Erika’s father had also been involved in the construction of Trump Tower, creating a bizarre web of potential connections between her and Trump long before she ever met her late husband, Charlie Kirk.
Memorial moment draws viral attention
These past ties resurfaced just days after the mom-of-two shared the stage with Trump during her husband’s massive memorial service on September 21 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Kirk, 31, founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University earlier this month.
As tens of thousands gathered for his memorial, many in MAGA gear, Erika addressed the crowd with an emotional tribute and a vow to continue her husband’s mission.
“My husband, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said.
“That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do.”
She continued: “The answer to hate is not hate…
"The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love.”
Erika also recalled seeing her husband’s body: “Even in death, I could see the man that I love… I also saw on his lips the faintest smile,” she told the crowd.
“He blinked and saw his savior in paradise.”
Trump praises Kirk and sparks reactions of his own
Trump, the headline speaker at the event, called Kirk “a martyr now for America’s freedom” and added: “He did not hate his opponents, he wanted the best for them.
"That’s where I disagree with Charlie. I hate my opponents and I don’t want what’s best for them.”
At the end of his remarks, he hugged Erika on stage, a moment that quickly went viral not for the gesture itself, but for Trump’s facial expression during the embrace.
Clips of the moment spread across TikTok, with users openly disturbed.
“We can all read the thoughts going through his mind right? Like it’s not just me?” one said. Another added: “It’s my fault for having eyes.”
The backlash only intensified as users drew attention to Erika’s resurfaced modeling photos and former ties to Trump’s pageant system.