‘The Movement My Husband Built Won't Die’: Charlie Kirk’s Wife Erika Gives Emotional Yet Powerful Address After Husband’s Assassination | WATCH

New Delhi: Two days after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University, his wife, Erika Kirk, stepped forward on Friday to deliver her first public remarks.  

A Wife’s Tribute: “My Husband Laid Down His Life”

Standing next to her late husband’s empty studio chair and holding his cross necklace, Erika spoke with a voice “filled with both sorrow and strength,” honoring his life and legacy. Erika's podium was framed with the caption, “May Charlie be received into the merciful arms of Jesus, our loving Savior.”

“My husband laid down his life for me, for our nation, for our children,” she said. “He showed the ultimate and true covenantal love. My husband laid down his life for me, for our nation, for our children. May Charlie be received into the merciful arms of Jesus, our loving Savior.”

Erika began by thanking first responders and the “countless supporters who have rallied behind her family since the tragic event.” She also offered “deep gratitude to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance for their support.”

“Mr. President, my husband loved you,” she declared, acknowledging the bond Charlie had with the two men.

Faith at the Center of Charlie’s Life and Legacy

She then shared one of Charlie’s long-held convictions: “Charlie always said that if he ever ran for office, his top priority would be to revive the American family.”

She also reflected on a Bible verse that guided his life, quoting Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her.”

For Charlie, Erika said, “This verse wasn’t just words but the essence of his sacrifice.” Even in mourning, she reaffirmed her faith, “Our world is filled with evil. But our God is so good. So incredibly good.”

“Where’s Daddy?”: A Mother Comforts Her Children Amid Tragedy

Erika and Charlie are parents to two young children — a son who turned one in May and a daughter who turned three this August. Erika shared a deeply personal moment from the aftermath of the shooting, recalling how she tried to comfort her little girl when she returned home. When she got home, her daughter ran into her arms, Erika said, and the child asked, “Where’s daddy?”

“What do you tell a 3-year-old?” an emotional Erika questioned during the live stream. “I said ‘baby, Daddy loves you so much, he's on a work trip with Jesus, ' so he can afford your blueberry budget,” Erika said, tearing up.  

Warning to the Attackers: “The Cries of This Widow Will Echo”

Directly addressing those responsible for the attack, she warned, “The evil-doers accountable for my husband’s assassination, if you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea what you have just unleashed across this entire country and this world.

You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry. The movement my husband built will not die.”

Erika vowed that Charlie’s legacy would live on: “The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry. The movement my husband built will not die. It won’t. I refuse to let that happen.”

Carrying the Torch: Turning Point USA to Expand

She announced that Turning Point USA’s campus tours and its annual AmericaFest conference would continue to grow, “I’ll make Turning Point USA the biggest thing this nation has ever seen,” she promised.

“His Wisdom Will Endure”: Tours, AmericaFest, and Shows to Continue

Kirk said her husband’s scheduled campus tour and his December conference, AmericaFest, “will go on,” as will his radio and podcast show. “His wisdom will endure,” she said.

She also urged young Americans to take up his work, “If there isn’t a chapter, if you can’t find one, then start one,” she said.

Charlie Kirk Remembered as a “Martyr” Standing at His Savior’s Side

Speaking of her husband’s faith, she added, “Now and for all eternity he will stand at his savior’s side, wearing the glorious crown of a martyr.”

Quoting again one of Charlie’s favorite verses, she said, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her.”

Not Just Political, But Spiritual: “Spiritual Warfare Is Palpable”

Erika stressed that the struggle her husband was committed to was not just political, “Above all, it is spiritual,” she said.

“Spiritual warfare is palpable.” She closed with a personal affirmation of his presence, “I know my husband is still here. He’s watching over us,” she said.

And finally, with her voice steady, she ended her remarks, “God bless you all, and God bless America.”

The Shooting at Utah Valley University: What Happened

Charlie Kirk, a co-founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization, was shot and killed on Wednesday while speaking to an audience of around 3,000 people at Utah Valley University's Losee Center. During the first leg of his "American Comeback Tour," the 31-year-old was hit in the neck by a single shot fired from a high vantage point. The suspect was identified by the FBI as Utah resident Tyler Robinson, age 22. About 33 hours after the sniper attack, he was apprehended, bringing an end to the nationwide manhunt that had captured the public's interest.