Erika Kirk condemns New York Times journalist for 'misrepresenting' her views on marriage

By JAMES GORDON, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:05, 4 July 2026 | Updated: 00:05, 4 July 2026 Erika Kirk came out swinging against the New York Times on Friday, claiming the paper twisted her views on marriage and family after an opinion writer argued that her messaging is out of step with how most Americans want to live. The Turning Point USA chief executive and widow of founder Charlie Kirk took to X on Friday to denounce an opinion piece by New York Times columnist Jessica Grose, saying it 'completely misses the point' of her remarks about marriage, children and family life. 'This @nytimes op-ed completely misses the point on the purpose of marriage and children and completely misrepresents my views in the process,' Kirk wrote. 'The entire article is laced with viewing family through the lens of money and career as if those things bring fulfillment and purpose.' Kirk went on to argue that lasting fulfillment comes from family rather than professional success or material wealth. 'When you're on your death bed, your money and your career won't be whispering in your ear 'I love you' as you take your last breath,' she wrote. 'The material goods and fortune of this world mean nothing when we go to our eternal resting place.' The dispute stems from Grose's opinion essay, The Gap Between the Families We Have and the Ones Conservatives Want, which examined conservative messaging surrounding marriage, parenthood and America's declining birth rate. In the article, Grose highlighted comments Kirk made during Hillsdale College's commencement ceremony in May, when she said her late husband would have urged graduates to 'get married young' and 'have more kids than you can afford.' Erika Kirk accused a New York Times opinion essay of 'completely' misrepresenting her views on marriage, children and family life in a post on X Friday. She is pictured alongside her late husband Charlie and their two young children The dispute centers on a New York Times opinion column by Jessica Grose, pictured, titled The Gap Between the Families We Have and the Ones Conservatives Want Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a Turning Point event at Utah Valley University on September 10. Grose argued that the message has generated criticism at a time when many Americans say rising housing costs, grocery bills and other financial pressures are forcing them to delay marriage or parenthood. The columnist also pointed to polling suggesting that marrying in one's early twenties is no longer the preference for most Americans, writing that many people believe it is better to establish themselves financially before starting a family. 'Kirk pitches her message as countercultural, and in a sense, it is,' Grose wrote, adding that conservative descriptions of marriage do not reflect the way many Americans now structure their relationships. Kirk insisted the column omitted an important part of what she actually said. 'The author conveniently leaves out the part of my Hillsdale commencement speech where I said "marry young, not rushed, but young,"' she wrote. She stressed that her message was not about pressuring people into marriage before they were ready, but about avoiding unnecessary delays. 'We serve a God of order and when you live a life ordered there's a double portion of grace,' Kirk wrote. 'Meaning marriage first, then kids, and everything else.' 'Timing matters because life is shorter than you might think, and you never know what could happen. The point is, don't put it off. Don't rush it or force it if it's not right, but don't put it off.' Erika Kirk wrote that the New York Times opinion piece 'completely misses the point' of marriage and children and 'completely misrepresents' her views Kirk said Grose omitted an important line from her Hillsdale College commencement speech in which she urged graduates to 'marry young, not rushed, but young.'  She defended her late husband Charlie Kirk's advice to 'have more kids than you can afford,' saying it was not a call for reckless parenthood or dependence on welfare Kirk noted that she married Charlie Kirk in 2021 when she was 32, while he was 27, and said she wished they had met sooner. The couple are pictured at Mount Rushmore in a family photo Kirk also addressed one of the most widely discussed lines from her commencement speech: Charlie Kirk's advice for young people to 'have more kids than you can afford.' She argued critics had misunderstood the remark. 'There is no such thing as perfect timing to have kids,' Kirk wrote. 'Financial struggles are a part of life, but the problem is a lot of Americans are self-surviving, not self-sacrificing, and they expect to live a very distinct lifestyle based on what they see online.' She continued: 'When Charlie encouraged young people to have more kids than they can afford, he wasn't saying to recklessly bring a child into this world and have them on welfare. He was saying children aren't a luxury item to have once you meet a certain tax bracket threshold. You don't need a mansion in order to build a family.' Kirk also reflected on her own experience, noting that she married Charlie Kirk in 2021 when she was 32, while he was 27. She said she did not believe either of them married too late or too early, although she wished they had met sooner and been able to start their family earlier. In her column, Grose argued that conservatives seeking to encourage marriage and higher birth rates do not need to promote what she described as an outdated model of family life. Erika Kirk wrote that 'timing matters' and encouraged people not to unnecessarily delay marriage or starting a family Kirk said she believes there is 'no such thing as perfect timing' to have children because financial struggles are a normal part of life Erika and Charlie were married for four years and had two children together Turning Point USA is a nonprofit conservative advocacy organization founded by Charlie Kirk, pictured. Following Kirk's death, leadership passed to his widow, Erika Kirk Drawing extensively on historian Stephanie Coontz's book For Better and Worse, Grose wrote that marriage has taken many different forms throughout history and across cultures, and that the single-income, male-breadwinner household associated with the 1950s reflected a specific economic and social moment rather than a permanent ideal. She also argued that economic realities remain a significant obstacle for many Americans considering marriage or children, citing Brigham Young University's 2025 American Family Survey, which found that 43 percent of respondents identified insufficient money as their primary barrier to having children. 'I take conservatives at their word that they want more people to get married and for those people to have more children than they are currently having,' Grose concluded. 'But it makes absolutely no sense to create a definition of marriage that excludes the desires and ideals of a substantial majority of Americans.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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