At a memorial service on Sunday, Erika Kirk, widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, remembered her husband’s legacy — and revealed her decision to forgive the man accused of killing him.
Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged in connection with Kirk’s Sept. 10 death at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Speaking before thousands at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Erika Kirk said her husband devoted his life to reaching young men who had lost purpose and direction.
“Charlie wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said. “Our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.’ That young man … I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it’s what Charlie would do.”
She began her eulogy with one of Charlie’s favorite Bible verses, Isaiah 6:8 — “Here I am, Lord. Send me.” She recalled warning her husband years ago about the power of that verse: “When you say something like that, there is so much power in it … and God will take you up on that. And He did.”
Erika described the moment she was faced with “the unthinkable” — seeing her husband’s body at the hospital. “I looked directly at my husband’s murdered body. I felt shock, horror, and a level of heartache I didn’t know existed. But I also saw mercy from God. On his lips was the faintest smile … it told me Charlie didn’t suffer.”
She also shared intimate details about their marriage, including a ritual that kept their bond strong during Charlie’s travels: “Every Saturday, Charlie wrote me a love note. He never missed one. He’d tell me his highlight of the week, how grateful he was for me and our babies, and he’d always end it by asking, ‘Please let me know how I can better serve you as a husband.’”
Above all, she emphasized Charlie’s faith and commitment to his mission. “Charlie died with incomplete work, but not with unfinished business. He gave 100% every day. He left Earth without regrets.”
Closing her remarks, Erika announced that she will continue her husband’s work as the new CEO of Turning Point USA: “Everything Charlie built through his vision and hard work, we will make ten times greater through the power of his memory. No assassin will ever stop us from defending those rights.”
