SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA— Erika Kirk gave a moving speech in public for the first time since her husband Charlie Kirk was killed. She made a clear and poignant gesture of thanks to President Donald Trump. On September 10, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA was shot and killed at an event at Utah Valley University.
When the live feed started on The Charlie Kirk Show’s platforms, viewers saw Kirk’s studio with an empty chair. There was a white baseball cap with the number “47” stitched on it on the table in front of the chair. This was a blatant reference to Donald Trump, who is the 47th President of the United States. The gesture was similar to Kirk’s public support for Trump, since he was known to give MAGA hats to followers at his engagements.
Erika made it clear in her remarks that she was thankful to President Trump. “Mr. President, my husband loved you, and he knew you loved him too,” she added with tears in her voice. “Your friendship was great. You both helped each other out so much.
President Trump has been closely following the event. He used his Truth Social platform to announce Kirk’s death and later blamed the “radical left” for the violence. He also personally told the public when Tyler Robinson, a person of interest in the investigation, was arrested. Trump and Kirk were quite close. In 2018, Trump hailed Kirk a “warrior of light,” and they played golf together at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
Erika also acknowledged other important people who helped her throughout this hard time in her speech. She thanked the police and first responders in the area, as well as the people who kept Turning Point USA members safe. She also mentioned Vice President JD Vance, who not only sent his condolences but also made plans for Erika and her family to fly to Arizona on Air Force Two.
Erika Kirk ended her poignant speech with a commitment to continue her husband’s work. She promised to make sure that Charlie’s message “did not die,” and she closed with, “God bless you all, and may God bless America.”