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Erika Kirk's embarrassing tongue slip before Nicki Minaj appearance goes viral; ‘long day…’
Erika Kirk garnered attention at AmericaFest post a verbal slip while presenting Charlie Kirk Courage Award to Caleb Chilcutt, who humorously referenced it.
Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, drew attention online after a verbal stumble while presenting an award at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona. The 37-year-old was honoring Utah Valley University student Caleb Chilcutt with the Charlie Kirk Courage Award when she tripped over her words.’
“Despite the devastating loss of Charlie Kirk, my incredible husband, Caleb has persisted with the same grift, gift, grit… it has been a long day,” Erika said during the presentation. She quickly reassured the student: “Trust me, you’re not a grifter, honey. It’s all good.”
Chilcutt responded humorously by referencing the moment in his Instagram bio, calling himself “Turning Point’s favorite grifter.”
Also Read: Who is Kayleigh McEnany? What we know about the ‘last person to take a photo’ with Charlie Kirk
The clip of Erika’s gaffe quickly circulated on social media, with some users jokingly suggesting she had accidentally called her late husband or the student a “grifter,” while others called it a “Freudian slip.”
High-profile AmericaFest event
The four-day AmericaFest conference featured prominent MAGA and conservative figures who spoke on panels and celebrated Charlie Kirk’s life and legacy.
The day after Erika’s slip, Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj appeared at AmericaFest alongside Erika Kirk. Minaj held Erika’s hands during her stage entrance and later joined her for a discussion, as reported by Daily Mail.
The appearance followed recent social media activity in which Vice President JD Vance seemed to endorse Minaj, adding to the media buzz surrounding the festival.
Erika endorses JD Vance
Elsewhere during the AmericaFest conference, Erika Kirk also used the platform to signal her political priorities ahead of future elections.
Addressing attendees at the Phoenix Convention Center, Kirk expressed support for Ohio senator JD Vance, saying, “We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected” in 2028, according to reports from the event.
She also urged Republicans to focus on retaining control of Congress, emphasizing the importance of upcoming midterm elections. “We are building the red wall,” she said. “We’re going to make sure that President Trump has Congress for all four years” of his current term.
