Former President Donald Trump is once again at the center of controversy after photos and footage from a recent Oval Office meeting showed him behaving in what many online are calling an “inappropriate” and “disrespectful” manner toward conservative activist
The incident unfolded during a closed-door gathering with a group of faith-based influencers and political donors, which Kirk — wife of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk — attended to discuss women’s leadership and media integrity. What was supposed to be a professional moment has now turned into a viral scandal after images captured Trump leaning in unusually close to Kirk, prompting an avalanche of backlash across
“The look on her face says it all,” one user wrote after seeing the video, which has now been viewed over 18 million times. “It’s giving major discomfort energy.”
The viral clip — originally posted by a photographer invited to document the meeting — shows Trump gesturing animatedly while Kirk appears visibly uneasy. At one point, Trump reportedly made a comment that drew nervous laughter from the group before placing his hand briefly on her back, sparking what many have described as a “gross and tone-deaf” moment inside the White House’s most iconic room.
“Trump just can’t help himself — the way he acted toward Erika Kirk in the Oval Office is beyond inappropriate.” @Acyn
Critics were quick to condemn the behavior. “This is not leadership — it’s entitlement,” wrote one political commentator on
Even some of his supporters appeared uneasy. “I voted for him twice,” one user admitted on
Kirk herself has not commented publicly on the encounter, but insiders close to the family told
The footage has reignited old debates about Trump’s conduct with women — a topic that has followed him since his days as a New York real estate mogul. Critics cited past controversies, including his
“The Erika Kirk clip from the Oval Office is making people furious — same patterns, same behavior.”
One viral post summed up the sentiment bluntly: “It’s 2025, and Trump still hasn’t learned to respect boundaries.”
Political strategist Ana Navarro echoed the outrage during a heated segment on
Meanwhile, right-wing influencers tried to downplay the moment, with some claiming the media was “blowing it out of proportion.” Conservative commentator
Clips of the meeting quickly spread across TikTok, with users adding dramatic music and slow-motion captions highlighting Kirk’s body language. “You can see her freeze,” one viral breakdown read. “That’s not comfort — that’s survival mode.”
Feminist activist Tarana Burke weighed in, calling the incident “a perfect example of how power is abused in plain sight.” Her post gained over 300,000 likes in 24 hours. “When you’re the most powerful man in the room, even a touch can become coercive,” she wrote.
“Erika Kirk doesn’t need to say a word. Her body language says everything.” @nowthisnews
Adding to the backlash, some users pointed out the irony of Trump’s behavior during what was reportedly a faith-based meeting about women’s leadership. “It’s the hypocrisy for me,” one commenter posted on
By Friday morning, hashtags like #ErikaKirk and #TrumpOvalOffice were trending globally, with hundreds of thousands of users sharing the clip alongside outraged reactions. “He’ll never change,” one user wrote. “Every time we think it can’t get worse, he proves us wrong.”
Neither Trump nor the Kirk family has issued an official statement, though a spokesperson for the former president brushed off the backlash as “ridiculous,” claiming, “President Trump was simply showing warmth and gratitude — something the media loves to misinterpret.”
Still, the viral clip continues to dominate online discourse, reigniting long-standing tensions around Trump’s behavior toward women — and once again leaving even some of his own supporters struggling to defend what they saw on camera.
As one journalist wrote on The Guardian: “If this is his idea of ‘presidential decorum,’ we’ve all learned nothing from history.”