Erika Kirk Urges Students to Follow Husband Charlie’s Advice: ‘Have More Kids Than You Can Afford’

Erika Kirk divided listeners when she gave the commencement speech at Hillsdale College on Saturday, May 9, where she encouraged the graduating student body to get married young and fall into traditional gender roles.

The Turning Point USA CEO — who took over after her husband, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated in September — spoke at the graduation about her husband’s legacy and shared some of his personal thoughts on marriage, including “have more kids than you can afford.”

“I just want to encourage all of you, to the men, you are called to provide, you are called to lead, to anchor your families in strength and consistency,” she told the roughly 5,000 in attendance. “To the women you are called to nurture, to build, to shape lives with wisdom and endurance. These are not secondary callings. They are among the most significant ways a life can be rightly ordered.”

According to TMZ, her speech earned a standing ovation from most of the people in attendance at the Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center while some protested outside the event with signs critical of her and Turning Point USA.

Meanwhile, fans took to social media to share their reactions to her statements. “How easy is that to say when you have a lot of money,” one person wrote underneath a Fox News post, while another declared, “This sounds like something out of the 1950s. Elitists are apparently unaware of modern day economics which makes it extremely challenging if not impossible for many young people to have families with just one bread winner.”

A third person commented, “Strong families are built on commitment, respect, and shared responsibility whether that means a man leads financially, a woman leads professionally, or both partners split everything equally.”

“Misogynistic speech. Many women can provide family stability more then men,” a fourth lamented.

Prior to the commencement, the school’s newspaper, The Collegian, reported that some students expressed disappointment with the selection of Erika as the speaker, arguing that, regardless of her politics, her ties to the modern conservative movement would make the graduation less of a celebration of students’ accomplishments and more of a statement on the current political moment.

Erika, as well as Charlie, received honorary degrees from Hillsdale College on Saturday — Charlie’s being a posthumous honor. Hillsdale College is a private Christian liberal arts college that does not take taxpayer money.