Fact Check: Did Erika Kirk Order Removal of The Charlie Kirk Show?

Candace Owens claims Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk's widow, had the podcast removed from major platforms, but there's no evidence to support that.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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According to conservative commentator Candace Owens, shortly after Erika Kirk assumed a leadership position at Turning Point USA following her husband Charlie Kirk's passing, the podcast archive of The Charlie Kirk Show vanished from YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Owens suggested Erika Kirk may have ordered the removal, but there is no verified proof to support this claim. The podcast is still available on other platforms like Rumble and the Turning Point USA website, and the reasons behind its removal from the major streaming services remain unclear.

Why it matters

This claim by Candace Owens is part of a larger controversy surrounding Erika Kirk and the legacy of her late husband Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative organization Turning Point USA. Owens has previously made other unsubstantiated attacks against Erika Kirk, raising questions about the motivations behind these allegations.

The details

Candace Owens took to social media to claim that one of Erika Kirk's 'early actions' as the new CEO of Turning Point USA was to have 'ALL of the Charlie Kirk Show episodes removed from Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.' However, there is no evidence that Erika Kirk directly instructed these platforms to take down the podcast. The full past episodes are no longer available on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and there are fewer videos on YouTube, but the show is still accessible on other platforms like Rumble and the official Turning Point USA website. Neither the streaming platforms nor Turning Point USA have issued any public statements explaining the removal.

  • Erika Kirk assumed a leadership position at Turning Point USA after her husband's passing.

The players

Erika Kirk

The widow of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, who allegedly ordered the removal of her late husband's podcast from major streaming platforms according to Candace Owens.

Candace Owens

A conservative commentator who has made unsubstantiated claims about Erika Kirk, including alleging that she ordered the removal of The Charlie Kirk Show from major platforms.

Charlie Kirk

The founder of the conservative organization Turning Point USA, whose podcast archive has allegedly been removed from major streaming platforms.

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What they’re saying

“Not to be awkward but regarding your instruction that we should watch Charlie's old content to see how he felt… One of the early actions his wife took as the new CEO was to have ALL of the Charlie Kirk Show episodes removed from Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.”

— Candace Owens (Twitter)

The takeaway

While the full podcast archives are no longer available on major streaming platforms, there is no verified proof that Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk's widow, directly ordered the removal of the content. The reasons behind the podcast's disappearance from Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube remain unclear, and Candace Owens' claims appear to be unsubstantiated attacks against Erika Kirk without concrete evidence.