Late conservative Charlie Kirk's wife, Erika Kirk, shocked the mourners' assembly at Sunday's memorial service by forgiving the killer of her husband, offering a message of forgiveness and reuniting that filled the stadium. (Image Source: X.com/@davidmedinapdx)
Late conservative Charlie Kirk's wife, Erika Kirk, shocked the mourners' assembly at Sunday's memorial service by forgiving the killer of her husband, offering a message of forgiveness and reuniting that filled the stadium.
"I forgive him," she said in the crowd, adding, "I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it's what Charlie would do."
Recently named the CEO of Turning Point USA, Erika Kirk promised to keep the campus debates and events that her late husband, Charlie Kirk, would start to ignite young conservatives and spur liberal ideologies. "Anything Turning Point USA established with Charlie's vision and sweat, we will make tenfold with the strength of his memory," she said.
Also Read: Charlie Kirk Laid to Rest: Trump, Musk, and Top Leaders Attend Funeral Amid Tight Security
Charlie Kirk, 31, was murdered on Sept. 10 while participating in a debate at a Utah university, and he left behind Erik and the couple's two small children. On Sunday, he was celebrated as a Christian martyr and patriot dedicated to free speech and pushing back against liberal dogma. Activists vowed to keep his work going, with Turning Point USA saying there were thousands of requests from students who wanted to establish high school and college chapters.
Kirk developed from a teen political activist to a top conservative opinion leader and a major MAGA youth influencer, his success directly linked with Donald Trump's political ascendancy.
He established Turning Point USA to push back against liberal thinking on university campuses and also conservative principles in the USA, and it has since emerged as one of the most powerful conservative cause networks in the nation.
President Donald Trump declared Charlie Kirk a "martyr for American freedom" in a memorial service to honor the political activist as Erika Kirk indicated she has forgiven the man who killed her husband. "On that day, this evangelist for American liberty became immortal," Trump declared Sunday before tens of thousands of mourners in the State Farm stadium in Glendale, Arizona. "He's a martyr now for American freedom."
The murder of Charlie Kirk attracted tens of thousands of mourners and members of Trump's cabinet to pay tribute to the top influencer among young conservatives. They employed the occasion not just for mourning but to energize their base and rally voters in preparation for the 2026 midterms. Trump recounted how Kirk would call him and ask him to fly across the country to attend his rallies with short notice.
"You never wanted to disappoint Charlie," Trump said. "He worked so hard you just didn't want to disappoint him."
Also Read: Trump arrives in Arizona to attend Charlie Kirk's memorial
