Erika Kirk was unanimously elected the new CEO and chairwoman of Turning Point USA, the organization co-founded by her late husband, Charlie, in 2012, the group announced Thursday (September 18).
“In prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his d*ath,” Turning Point USA’s board stated in an open letter shared on social media.
“Charlie prepared all of us for a moment like this one. He worked tirelessly to ensure Turning Point USA was built to survive even the greatest tests,” Turning Point USA added.
“We will not surrender or kneel before evil. We will carry on.”
Erika, who also runs her own nonprofit, Everyday Heroes Like You, vowed to carry on her husband’s legacy following his assassination.
“The attempt to destroy Charlie’s work will become our chance to make it more powerful and enduring than ever before,” added the conservative organization.
Kirk, 31, was assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10.
Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from Utah, has since been arrested and charged with aggravated m*rder. Prosecutors said they intend to pursue the d*ath penalty for the crime.
Erika spoke out about her husband’s assassination during a press conference on September 12, when she thanked local, state, and federal law enforcement, Kirk’s “dear friend,” US Vice President JD Vance and his “phenomenal wife” Usha Vance, as well as President Donald Trump for his support and friendship with Kirk.
“Charlie always said that when he was gone, he wanted to be remembered for his courage and for his faith,” the 36-year-old said.
“Most of all, Charlie loved his children, and he loved me with all of his heart,” Erika continued. “My husband laid down his life for me, for our nation, for our children.”
Erika, who shares two children with the victim, revealed that his The American Comeback Tour would continue in the fall.
“I honestly have no idea what any of this means. I know that God does, but I don’t,” she added. “All the evildoers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done.”
Erika further shared how she handled telling the couple’s 3-year-old daughter about her father’s passing. Following the crime, she said the young girl asked her, “Where’s Daddy?”
“What do you tell a three-year-old? She’s three,” Erika told viewers. “I said, ‘Baby, daddy loves you so much. Don’t you worry. He’s on a work trip with Jesus, so he can afford your blueberry budget.’”
Concluding her message, she thanked those who “love my husband, who supported him, who wrote him an email every single day during his radio show, he read all of them, all of them.”
The couple met in 2018 and got married in 2021. They welcomed a daughter in August 2022 and a son in May 2024.
Kirk co-founded Turning Point at 18 years old to advocate for conservative politics on high school and college campuses.
Tyler Robinson reportedly “confessed” or “implied” that he had committed the crime, after which his father convinced him to turn himself in.
FBI Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino said on Monday (September 15) that Robinson’s digital footprint indicated that he had an “obsession” with the conservative influencer, and that the suspect appeared to have exhibited “multiple warning signs.”
FBI Director Kash Patel announced that DNA found at the crime scene, specifically the towel wrapped around the rifle used in the crime, and on a screwdriver, links Robinson to the fatal attack.
Robinson allegedly spoke about Kirk’s visit to the university at a dinner with family members, according to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.
“They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had,” the governor stated, adding that Robinson said “Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.”
The 22-year-old is currently being held without bail at Utah County Jail.
