Erika Kirk pledges ‘my husband’s voice will remain’ in tribute to Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, has given a tearful address in which she thanked first responders for trying to save her husband’s life after he was fatally shot on a Utah university campus.

Kirk, a 31-year-old right-wing activist, was shot dead on Wednesday during an open-air speaking event in Orem. His suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, was arrested on Thursday night after surrendering to police.

In her remarks, Mrs Kirk pledged: “My husband’s voice will remain.”

Turning Point USA, the organisation Kirk co-founded, has announced a memorial will take place on 21 September at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, which can seat more than 60,000 people.

In a livestream, standing beside her husband’s empty chair that he used during podcast tapings, Mrs Kirk quoted the Bible and spoke about his love for President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, the US and the couple’s two children.

The broadcast, from Turning Point USA’s headquarters in Arizona, began with several minutes of silence, as the camera was fixed on the empty chair.

As his widow started speaking, she looked upwards and whispered a silent prayer.

She then thanked first responders who tried to save him, her husband’s staff, and the White House.

“Mr President, my husband loved you. And he knew that you loved him too,” she said tearfully, also thanking Vance and his wife Usha for accompanying the casket back to Arizona.

“But most of all, Charlie loved his children. And he loved me. With all his heart. And he made sure I knew that every day.”

In a later Instagram post, Mrs Kirk echoed comments she made on the livestream and shared videos and photos of her sitting over her husband’s casket.

One video showed her kissing Kirk’s hand as he lies in the casket dressed in a suit and tie.

Addressing “evil-doers”, Mrs Kirk, 36, had earlier told the livestream: “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.

“They should all know this: if you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before you have no idea, you have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world.”

Her husband’s tour of US university campuses will continue throughout the autumn, and in the years to come, she said, without offering further details. His podcast will also continue.

Mrs Kirk also spoke of their one-year-old son and three-year-old daughter, saying that she was at a loss for how to explain their father’s sudden death.

“Baby, daddy loves you so much. Don’t you worry. He’s on a work trip with Jesus,” she told their daughter.

Erika Kirk is a businesswoman and former Miss Arizona USA winner, who met her husband in 2018. The couple were engaged by 2020 and wed less than a year later.

She is currently studying for a doctorate in Bible studies, has launched a ministry programme and hosts the Midweek Rise Up podcast focused on Biblical leadership. Mrs Kirk also acts and models, and has a faith-based clothing line.

Although the children and the couple’s home life are regular fixtures on her social media pages, they never publish images showing their children’s faces.

Charlie Kirk, a controversial figure in US political discourse, had been hailed by many as the future of American conservatism with a knack for energising young conservatives.

By mobilising the youth vote, he was an instrumental organiser in Trump’s Maga coalition and helped return him to the White House for a second term.

Kirk was a strong supporter of gun rights, vehemently opposed abortion, was critical of transgender rights and promoted false claims about Covid-19.

His views were polarising on the college campuses, where he held large events, and his provocative speeches would draw crowds of vocal opponents as well as fans.

Kirk’s supporters said he was relatable and understood their concerns. But his views drew fierce liberal criticism, with his detractors said his rhetoric hurt people – especially those in the LGBT community.

Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University during Turning Point USA’s The American Comeback Tour, a speaking engagement that took him to several college campuses throughout the US.

He was shot during his viral Prove Me Wrong debate while taking a question about gun violence and transgender people in the US.

The university’s president, Dr Astrid Tuminez, has confirmed both in-person and online classes will resume from 17 September.

Dr Tuminez has said increased security will be implemented “as we heal from this tragic event”.

Trump has announced that he will award Kirk a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian honour a president can bestow – describing his friend and ally as a “giant of his generation and a champion of liberty”.

The US president said that Mrs Kirk “is absolutely devastated”.

Trump earlier said he would be attending in person Kirk’s funeral – expected to be held next weekend – in Arizona.

Turning Point USA, the organisation Charlie Kirk founded when he was 18 years old, also referred to its co-founder as a “martyr” and “pioneer”.

“Charlie was the ideal husband and the perfect father. Above all else, we ask you to pray for the Kirks after the incomprehensible loss they have suffered,” the organisation said in a statement to the BBC on Thursday.

JD Vance flew to Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday to retrieve Kirk’s casket and transport it to Phoenix, Arizona – where Kirk’s family lives – on the vice-presidential aircraft, Air Force Two.

Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance travelled with Kirk’s family and some of his friends to Arizona.