Erika Kirk has quietly been given a new role on the Air Force Academy Board of Visitors according to the board’s website. She was recommended for the role a few months ago but it was Donald Trump who appointed her which proves loyalty to the president is all it takes to attain important positions these days.
The Air Force Academy website explains that “The Board inquires into the morale, discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods and other matters relating to the Academy which the Board decides to consider.” Erika’s slain husband, Charlie Kirk, also had a role on the board prior to his assassination and he too had been appointed by Trump.
Erika, who also took over as CEO of Turning Point USA, has now filled the shoes of her late husband once again as she joined the USAFA Board of Visitors over the weekend.
In a statement on Kirk’s appointment to the role, August Pfluger, the representative for Texas’ 11th congressional district applauded Trump’s decision. “Erika is the right person to fill Charlie’s place on the Board” Pfluger said, adding that Erika was “inspiring the next generation of service members and advancing the Academy.”
The response to Trump appointing Erika Kirk
While Republicans like Pfluger may be happy about Erika Kirk’s appointment it’s safe to say the feeling isn’t shared by many. One individual on X claimed “We’re in hell” after learning about her new role.
Donald Trump has appointed Erika Kirk to help advise the Defense Department on issues affecting the academy.
— The Honey Badger (@Nance726) March 10, 2026
We’re in hell. pic.twitter.com/Wu2sHnNFzW
Others questioned what Kirk could even possibly add to the USAFA, “why isn’t she raising her young babies who lost their father?” Many believed that she simply wasn’t qualified for the role and had only gained the favorable position due to her loyalty to Trump.
While being on the Board of Visitors may not seem like such a big deal it is a pretty important job and one would expect someone with a little more experience to be taking the role. The board monitors morale and academic methods among other things at the USAFA although it cannot force changes, those on the board do have quite a lot of influence which is why many are against someone as ill-fitted as Kirk being a part of the board.
The board is also in direct communication with the likes of Pete Hegseth, often submitting reports filled with recommendations on what needs to be done. The Board could also soon be looking into posthumously granting an honorary degree to Charlie Kirk, something which Erika Kirk will no doubt hold significant sway over.
In the end people simply feel that important roles relating to the Defense Department, or any government department for that matter, shouldn’t go to people who have little to no experience. It’s not too much to ask and yet we’ve seen Trump constantly give roles to his friends and those loyal to him rather than actually factoring in whether or not they’d actually be a good fit.
