By Eniola Amadu
Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, delivered an emotional address on Friday in which she thanked first responders, colleagues and political leaders for their support following her husband’s death in Utah.
Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative youth group Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Wednesday during a public event at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Authorities said the suspected shooter, Tyler Robinson, surrendered to police the following night and remains in custody.
In a livestream broadcast from Turning Point USA’s headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, Mrs. Kirk spoke beside her late husband’s empty chair used during podcast recordings.
The program began with a prolonged silence before she looked upward, offered a short prayer, and began her remarks.
She expressed gratitude to emergency personnel who tried to save her husband, to Turning Point USA staff, and to White House officials.
Addressing President Donald Trump directly, she said her husband “loved you, and he knew that you loved him too.”
She also thanked Vice President JD Vance and his wife for accompanying her husband’s remains back to Arizona.
Mrs. Kirk described her husband as devoted to both his political mission and his family, emphasising that he was deeply committed to their two children.
She pledged that his work would continue, saying the campus speaking tours and podcast projects would not be discontinued despite his death.
At one point, she addressed those she described as “evil-doers,” saying her husband’s killing had only strengthened the resolve to continue his mission.
She said the incident would not silence his message and that she intended to play an active role in sustaining it.
How tragedy impacted Kirk’s family
Mrs. Kirk also spoke about the personal impact of the tragedy on her family.
She said she was struggling to explain the loss to their one-year-old son and three-year-old daughter, adding that she reassured her daughter by telling her their father was “on a work trip with Jesus.”
The widow, 36, is a businesswoman, former Miss Arizona USA, and a doctoral student in Bible studies.
She has launched a ministry program, hosts a faith-based podcast, and operates a clothing line.
Kirk’s death marks the highest-profile attack on a conservative activist on a U.S. university campus in recent years. Authorities in Utah said investigations into Robinson’s motive remain ongoing.
