Erika Kirk delivered an emotional tribute to her late husband, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, during a memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday. Speaking before a large crowd, she reflected on her marriage, her Christian faith, and her commitment to carrying on his work.
Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on September 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged in connection with the killing. While acknowledging her heartbreak, Erika Kirk emphasized forgiveness, even for the accused.
“Charlie wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said. “Our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ That young man…I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it’s what Charlie would do.”
Erika Kirk Forgives Charlie Kirk’s Accused Killer
Her eulogy began with one of her husband’s favorite scriptures, Isaiah 6:8: “Here I am, Lord. Send me.” She remembered once warning him about the verse’s gravity. “God will take you up on that,” she told him. “And He did.”
Erika described the devastating moment she viewed her husband’s body.
“I looked directly at my husband’s murdered body. Saw the wound that ended his life. I felt shock, horror, and a level of heartache I didn’t even know existed,” she said. Yet she found solace in believing he did not suffer. “I saw on his lips the faintest smile… it told me Charlie didn’t suffer.”
She also revealed a private ritual that sustained their marriage during his frequent travel. “Every Saturday, Charlie wrote me a love note. He never missed one,” she said. The letters expressed gratitude and always ended with a question: “‘Please let me know how I can better serve you as a husband.’”
Faith, Erika stressed, defined Charlie’s life. He journaled daily, once writing: “Every time you make a decision, it puts a mark on your soul.”
Concluding her remarks, Erika announced she will succeed her husband as CEO of Turning Point USA. “Everything Charlie built through his vision and hard work, we will make ten times greater,” she said. “No assassin will ever stop us from defending those rights.”
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