Yesterday marked what would have been the late Charlie Kirk’s 33rd birthday — and the National Day of Remembrance bearing his name, a tribute which the Senate unanimously approved weeks after the conservative activist was killed during a speaking event at a Utah campus.

Naturally, the White House took to social media to honor the late Turning Point USA founder and “Christian martyr.” But as many commenters pointed out, they left out a key figure in the photo post: Charlie Kirk.

Instead, the White House posted a photo of Erika Kirk, his widow and the current Turning Point USA CEO, alongside President Donald Trump. The somber, black-and-white photo was taken last year when the president posthumously honored Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Today, on what would have been his 33rd birthday, our Nation honors the loving memory of Charlie Kirk - a father, husband, Christian martyr, & titan of the conservative movement.We renew our resolve to always defend our principles of truth, faith, & the open exchange of ideas. pic.twitter.com/qEy12dHcMf

In the comments, people wondered why the White House social media team chose a Charlie-less photo to mark the occasion.

“Why is there not a photo of Charlie for CHARLIE’S BIRTHDAY??” said one self-proclaimed Charlie Kirk fan.

“Pretty telling that Charlie isn’t even in the photo,” another person remarked.

“Using this photo instead of a photo of the man himself is loathsome, and not shocking whatsoever,” one user said.

Five minutes after the original post, the White House followed up with a more Charlie-centric video compilation featuring excerpts from interviews and speeches he gave during his political career. When asked to comment on the photo tribute, the White House communications team pointed to the follow-up video.

But why choose a photo of Trump and Erika Kirk rather than one of the late conservative influencer in the main post commemorating the “National Day of Remembrance For Charlie Kirk”? Political communication experts said the choice may have been intended to position both Erika Kirk and Trump as stewards of Charlie Kirk’s legacy at a time when Turning Point USA’s future is uncertain.

Although TPUSA’s college chapters have multiplied and thousands of young women have turned out for its events in the initial months after Charlie Kirk’s death, it’s less clear whether the organization can still mobilize young voters at the scale it did when Kirk was alive, as his influence helped draw younger voters to Trump during presidential runs. Whether his widow can wield the same influence — on the campaign trail, among young voters or with donors — remains an open question.

With the midterms fast approaching and Republicans facing a potential blue wave, Trump is likely eager to keep his connection with the late Kirk strong, too.

“Trump needs to motivate Turning Point members, but he needs to be seen as part of the future rather than the past,” said Daniel Schnur, a lecturer in political science at Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and the national director of communications for the 2000 presidential campaign of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

“His audience obviously reveres Charlie, but Trump can’t afford for them to be thinking about him as part of history: He needs them now. So a photo with Erika establishes the connection but in a contemporary way,” Schnur told HuffPost.

The problem is, Erika Kirk is no Charlie Kirk. In a recent Vanity Fair profile of the 37-year-old widow, reporter Clara Molot writes that while Erika Kirk was eager to discuss her Christian faith, “she seemed uneasy articulating her own political views.”

Since Charlie Kirk’s death, his wife has also been on the receiving end of conspiracy theories peddled by political commentator ― and Charlie’s close friend ― Candace Owens, eroding confidence in Erika Kirk’s ability to lead.

“It’s a lose-lose,” one former employee told Vanity Fair of Erika Kirk’s appointment as CEO. While she may have been the most convenient figure to lead the organization in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death ― Erika Kirk claims she was closely involved in her husband’s day-to-day operations in the profile ― the former employee said, “the downside is that she’s not Charlie.”

The health of Turning Point USA no doubt matters deeply to Trump, since the conservative nonprofit was a major force on college campuses that helped draw Gen Z men toward far-right politics in the election that sent Trump back to the White House. Charlie Kirk’s organization pledged to raise $108 million to mobilize Trump voters and “clean house” of election officials in 2024.

“Donald Trump is not president today without the support of young men, and Charlie Kirk deserves and deserved credit not just for organizing young men but persuading an older generation to listen and to invest,” John Della Volpe, director of polling at Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics, told ABC News after Kirk’s death.

Turning Point USA is ultimately a political asset for Trump. However, Evan Nierman, CEO of crisis PR firm Red Banyan, interpreted the Charlie Kirk remembrance post differently: In his view, the photo was chosen for its emotional impact and to show ongoing support for Erika Kirk and Turning Point USA after Charlie Kirk’s murder.

Nierman believes Erika Kirk still enjoys goodwill among her late husband’s followers, despite negative headlines about her conduct since his death. For instance, her “WWE-style” entrance at his memorial in Arizona last year drew widespread criticism.

“Despite her every move being scrutinized in the wake of global attention, and even some PR missteps along the way, Erika is still regarded by many as having cultivated her image as a woman who is unbowed and exceedingly poised and capable,” Nierman told HuffPost.

As for the Charlie Kirk-less post and how it played out on social media, even those who aren’t fans are still talking about it, which Nierman said may have been the point.

“The irony is that even those who loathe the president and his posts find themselves amplifying him by expressing constant outrage at his every move, which ultimately plays into his hands.”

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