Erika Kirk
Politics

Charlie Kirk’s Wife Delivers Emotional First Remarks: ‘My Husband Laid Down His Life for Me, for Our Nation, for Our Children’

RNN Staff

Two days after the public assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, his heartbroken widow delivered her first remarks — a tearful tribute to her husband’s sacrifice, faith, and enduring legacy.

Speaking Friday night in Arizona, where Kirk will be laid to rest, Erika Frantzve Kirk stood behind a podium bearing her husband’s image and addressed mourners in the very room where Kirk had recorded his popular podcast.

“My husband laid down his life for me, for our nation, for our children,” Erika said, her voice breaking. “May Charlie be received into the merciful arms of Jesus, our loving Savior. Now and for all eternity, he will stand at his savior’s side wearing the glorious crown of a martyr.”

With determination in her tone, she vowed: “No one will ever forget my husband’s name, and I will make sure of it.”

Charlie Kirk, just 31 years old, was gunned down Wednesday at Utah Valley University during the opening stop of his American Comeback Tour. The father of two was answering questions from students when he was struck in the neck by a bullet fired from more than 200 yards away.

Police identified the suspected shooter as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, a Utah trade student and devout Mormon. Robinson was captured Thursday night after a massive manhunt and now faces aggravated murder charges.

Erika, a former Miss Arizona and host of the devotional podcast Midweek Rise Up, married Charlie in 2021. Together, they have two young children — a three-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son.

On Thursday, she escorted her husband’s body back home to Phoenix’s Hansen Mortuary Chapel after it was flown from Utah aboard Air Force Two, a solemn flight arranged by Vice President JD Vance. Vance and his wife Usha personally accompanied Erika, with the vice president even helping carry Kirk’s wooden casket during a private ceremony at Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base in Salt Lake City.

President Donald Trump has already announced he will attend Kirk’s funeral, calling it a personal “obligation” to honor the young conservative leader. The president also pledged to posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

For many, Kirk’s martyrdom has become a rallying cry against political violence — and a reminder of the price paid by those who stand boldly for their faith, their families, and their country.

Watch Erika’s full remarks below:

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