MAGA supporters rage at drag queen for impersonating Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika in ‘heartless exploitation of grief’

MAGA supporters have not held back with expressing their outrage at a drag queen for impersonating Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk in ‘heartless exploitation of grief.’ 

Erika, 37, took over Turning Point USA after her husband was fatally shot last year and has gained worldwide attention from the numerous public appearances that followed.

Now, she is receiving attention in a different way – after becoming the subject of performances by LA-based drag queen Lauren Banall.

Banall, who has been giving flashy performances under the pseudonym Erika Qwerk, has received heavy criticism from conservatives after appearing to mock the grieving widow in her act.

The performer has been dressing in similar ensembles to the young mom, opting to wear Kirk’s signature block-colored suit in red, as well as a bleach blonde wig, heavy winged eyeliner and bright blue contact lenses.

The drag queen has also been incorporating audio snippets into her act of Kirk speaking at public engagements since her husband was killed.

In one clip shared to her TikTok, the drag performer is seen lip-synching to audio from Charlie’s memorial service as his wife pleaded: ‘Forgive them, for they not know what they do.’

Banall then made exaggerated faces at the crowd before launching into a dance set to Cascada’s Evacuate The Dancefloor.

The clip, which has been viewed more than 7.4 million times, was inundated with comments.

While some defended Banall’s performance as an expression of ‘political art,’ dozens of others were less than impressed.

‘This is so disrespectful,’ one user slammed. 

Another demanded the creator ‘stop’ her performances, with one calling the shows ‘absolutely disgusting.’

‘This is disgusting but that’s what evil is. Disgusting,’ one appalled person commented. 

Following the widespread uproar, MAGA pundits from the media outlet Real America’s Voice hit out at Banall.

‘The performer known as Erika Qwerk has posted videos on TikTok dressing up, lip syncing, and dancing to clips of Kirk’s speeches, raking in millions of views and even fundraising for the American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU],’ Emily Finn, co-host of the network’s American Sunrise show, said.

‘A mockery of a conservative icon,’ Finn raged before then adding, ‘Outrage has boiled over with conservatives calling it a heartless exploitation of grief and a new low in the culture wars. 

‘Critics say this isn’t just satire, it’s a personal attack. And once again, the left celebrates mockery of conservative figures.’ 

Finn’s co-host David Brody agreed, branding the act as ‘pure evil.’ 

‘Leave this poor woman alone. Enough already,’ he added.

Banall has racked up millions of views with her Kirk performances and has used the popularity to start a GoFundMe to raise money for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The ACLU is a non-profit organization that defends individual rights of people in America, including free speech, voting rights, reproductive freedom, and LGBTQ+ rights.

So far, Banal has raised nearly $7,250 for the organization.

Banal told PRIDE that she ‘absolutely did not expect this reaction’ to her performances.

‘I thought I would make the 100 people at my brunch laugh, maybe a thousand people who follow me would see the Instagram Reel, and that would be it. I truly only did it to make myself and my friends laugh, just like any other drag number I do,’ she told the publication. 

She added that the idea for the show came from feeling ‘so helpless and gaslit in this political moment.’

‘So many things feel so insane, so not-normal, and it feels like no one is addressing it,’ she explained.

‘I kept seeing [Erika Kirk] over and over again in different interviews and events, and kept being bewildered by her strange behavior.’

She continued: ‘Eventually, I saw a TikTok where someone added the horror noise every time she squinted her icy blue eyes in a menacing manner, and it made me laugh so hard. I thought, “finally it feels like someone sees what I see.”‘ 

Banall has stated that she has no plans to stop mimicking Kirk, sharing: ‘Conservatives are determined to dominate the culture and I think it’s a drag queen’s (or any artist’s) duty to reflect the culture of the times.’

Daily Mail has reached out to Banall for further comment. 

Kirk has remained highly active in conservative media since her husband was fatally shot on September 10 during a live event at Utah Valley University.

Following his death, she appeared repeatedly on Fox News, granted multiple interviews, and was seen alongside Donald Trump at high-profile political gatherings.