Progressive commentator Kyle Kulinski reportedly drew widespread condemnation over the weekend after posting a Halloween-themed image mocking Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, less than two months after her husband’s killing.
Kulinski, the host of Secular Talk on YouTube, shared a doctored image on X Friday evening depicting a fake costume labeled “Fake Grieving Widow Grifter.” The image showed an artificially generated version of Erika Kirk wearing tight black leather pants, makeup streaked down her face, and holding what appeared to be a hat filled with cash. The fake packaging listed included items such as “fake tear drops” and “skin-tight black leather mourning pants.”
The post, viewed roughly three million times, appeared to mock Erika Kirk’s public appearances since her husband’s death at a Turning Point USA event in Utah — a shooting that shocked conservative circles nationwide. While Kulinski seemed to intend the post as dark humor, many online saw it as gratuitous cruelty.
Turning Point USA’s executive producer Andrew Kolvet was among the first to condemn the post. “What is wrong with you?” he wrote on X, reflecting the outrage of many within the conservative movement and beyond.
Charles C.W. Cooke of National Review called Kulinski’s behavior “extremely ugly” and urged him to “feel ashamed of yourself.” Fox News contributor Guy Benson also criticized the image, writing, “Her husband was shot dead for his beliefs and this is how they’re treating her.”
Kulinski, who has not deleted or apologized for the post, has built his brand on progressive commentary and criticism of conservative figures. But this episode drew attention not for his political views, but for what many saw as a moment of indecency. The image circulated widely as commentators from across the political spectrum debated the boundaries of online speech and the erosion of empathy in political culture.
The backlash also underscored how public mourning has become a target in the social-media age, where partisanship often overrides restraint. Erika Kirk, who has largely stayed out of the political spotlight since her husband’s death, is scheduled to sit for her first television interview since the shooting with Fox News host Jesse Watters on November 5.
Kulinski’s post came just days after Kirk appeared at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi alongside Senator J.D. Vance. Supporters have praised her for maintaining composure and continuing to honor her husband’s work despite public scrutiny.
The reaction to Kulinski’s post was swift and almost uniformly critical outside left-wing circles. Even some who share his political leanings questioned why a public figure with a large following — his YouTube channel has more than two million subscribers — would choose to mock a widow still visibly grieving.
While the YouTuber has often clashed with conservative personalities, his decision to target Erika Kirk appears to have crossed a moral line for many observers. As Guy Benson put it bluntly: “This isn’t politics. It’s just cruel.”
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