BREAKING NEWS: ERIKA KIRK’S SHOCKING STATEMENT BEFORE 60,000 MOURNERS AT STATE FARM STADIUM
On a bright afternoon at the TPUSA Faith event, Charlie stepped to the podium and spoke without notes — exactly the way he preferred. He loved to speak off the cuff, trusting his heart and conviction rather than a prepared script. I did not know in advance what he would say. What he chose that day surprised no one who knew him well: he offered his life in surrender to God’s will, quoting one of his favorite verses, Isaiah 6:8 — “Here I am, Lord; send me.”
After the speech, I caught up with him backstage. I remember the exchange clearly. I took his hand and said quietly, “Charlie, please talk to me before you make that kind of declaration.” There is a profound weight in those words. To say, “Here I am, Lord; use me,” is to invite God’s purpose into your life in the most absolute way — and when you mean it, God answers. That answer came eleven days later, when God accepted Charlie’s complete surrender and called him home.
In the days that followed, even in the deepest pain, I found comfort in the certainty of his faith. Those simple words from the Lord’s Prayer — “Thy will be done” — became an anchor. On the afternoon of September 10, I went to a hospital in Utah to face the unimaginable: to see the man I loved after he had been taken from us. I experienced shock, horror, and a sorrow so wide it felt physical. Yet in that grief, there were small mercies. I noticed a single gray hair on the side of his head — a detail I had never told him about. Now, I told him, in that moment, that he would forever know it.
I also noticed the faintest smile on his lips. It was a tiny sign, but to me it spoke volumes: a mercy from God, a reassurance that he had not suffered. The doctors explained that what happened to him was swift and beyond human remedy. One moment he was doing what he loved — debating, teaching, engaging young people on campus — and the next, he had opened his eyes to his Savior and the mysteries of paradise.
Mercy continued to unfold in the days after his death. On the tarmac of Air Force Two, I found myself holding the hand of a dear friend, who offered a simple but perfect parable. She compared those first brutal minutes after loss to the last fifteen minutes of a turbulent flight: chaotic, unbearable perhaps, but finite. “You will get through these fifteen minutes,” she told me, “and then the next fifteen.” Those words gave me the breath to go on.
What followed was a response I had hoped to see in our country: not riot or violence, but revival. In the wake of my husband’s assassination, people opened Bibles they had not touched in years. Some prayed for the first time since childhood. Some attended a church service for the first time in their lives. Charlie kept a journal — a practice he used to mark things that mattered. One line he wrote was simple and haunting: “Every time you make a decision, it puts a mark on your soul.” To everyone who has now taken that first step toward faith, I say: welcome. You have made an important decision — perhaps the most important of your life.
To those who are already believers, the task is clear: shepherd these new souls. Tend to the seeds that have been planted. Faith needs water, protection, encouragement. Charlie believed faith is a habit — the more you live it, the more it grows. Yet he also warned that trials and temptation are greatest in moments of apparent harvest. Choose, again and again, to mark your life toward Christ: pray, read scripture, attend fellowship, and resist the pull of the world.
Charlie lived the call of following Christ fully — he carried his cross willingly and without complaint. He died far too soon, but he died ready. There were no regrets in his life; he gave everything he could each day. Our marriage was the greatest blessing I ever knew. Charlie loved our family deeply, and he believed that strong marriages were central to a flourishing nation. He loved to write me notes every Saturday, recounting his gratitude and asking, tenderly, how he could better serve me as a husband. That humility defined him.
To the men he inspired, Charlie issued a challenge: embrace courageous, godly leadership in your homes. Lead with love, not dominance. To the women who stood beside him, he offered an example of mutual respect and partnership. To mothers, he reminded us that there is no greater ministry than raising children in love and faith.
Charlie’s mission was especially aimed at young people — those adrift without direction or hope. He founded Turning Point USA to offer them a better path. He wanted to reach the young men who felt lost, to show them beauty, truth, and purpose. In the face of hate, Charlie chose forgiveness. He forgave the young man who took his life, modeling the gospel’s call to love even our enemies.
Today, I humbly accept the responsibility of leading Turning Point USA forward. I do not take this role lightly. Charlie and I shared a purpose, and now his vision is my mission. We will honor his legacy by expanding the work he began — by planting more chapters, strengthening campus outreach, and fostering spiritual renewal through TPUSA Faith. The conversation he began must continue. Free speech, honest debate, and the free exchange of ideas are the lifeblood of a healthy society.
Let Charlie’s life be a turning point for you. Choose prayer. Choose courage. Choose family. Choose a life of faith. Most of all, choose Christ.
I love you, Charlie — and I will strive to make you proud. God bless you all, and God bless America.
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