Donald Trump was pictured consoling Erika Kirk at her late husband Charlie’s funeral

The internet have found a link between Erika Kirk and Donald Trump after a bikini photo of the former model resurfaces on social media.

Erika, the widow of Charlie Kirk, was at his memorial service in Arizona over the weekend (21 September), as the likes of Trump and Elon Musk made up the thousands in attendance at the State Farm Stadium.

The 36-year-old was stood alongside the US president, 79, as she paid tribute to her late husband who was shot dead at a University Q&A in Utah on 10 September.

Two days after the assassination, the FBI arrested and charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder. He is accused of shooting and killing Kirk with a rifle from a nearby rooftop.

Of the alleged killer, Erika said at the Sunday service: “That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do.

“My husband, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life.”

As she performed an ‘I love you’ hand gesture to the sky, Trump was pictured consoling the tearful widow with his arm around her.

In one picture, the Republican leader is seen grinning as she cries in his arms.

The internet has unearthed a link between Erika Kirk and Donald Trump (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“[Charlie Kirk] did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them, I’m sorry,” Trump said.

“I am sorry, Erika. But now, Erika can talk to me and the whole group and maybe they can convince me that’s not right. But I can’t stand my opponent.”

Well, his opposition has since done some digging and found out that Erika represented Arizona in the Miss USA beauty pageant in 2012, which was previously owned by Trump.

Erika took part in the 2012 Miss USA pageant (WENN Rights Ltd/Alamy)

The president happened to co-own the Miss Universe Organisation, which includes the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA pageants, from 1996 to 2015.

An X user found bikini photos of Erika from her beauty pageant days, writing: “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 modelling and acting.”

Erika won Miss Arizona USA on her 23rd birthday in November 2011 (YouTube/Miss USA)

Erika won Miss Arizona USA eight years before she started dating Kirk in 2019. She then competed in the 2012 Miss USA competition, owned by Trump.

During that time, she also worked as a casting director, and people on the internet have speculated that she did so for Trump’s organisation.

However, as reported by Hindustan Times, records do not show the names of the companies she worked with.

Erika and Charlie got engaged in December 2020 and were married by May 2021.

A year later, they welcomed a daughter in August 2022 and then a son in May 2024.

Following Charlie’s assassination in September 2025, Erika was appointed CEO of Turning Point USA.