Charlie Kirk’s wife, Erika, has officially broken her silence on the conservative pundit’s fatal shooting.
The former Miss Arizona addressed the nation via a YouTube livestream on Friday night, remembering him as the “perfect” father and husband.
Erika began by thanking law enforcement and first responders who were present on the day of Charlie’s passing as well as those who protected their Turning Point USA team.
She went on to tearfully thank President Donald Trump as well as Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, before jumping into her speech.
“Two days ago, my husband Charlie went home to see the face of his savior and his God. Charlie always said that when he was gone, he wanted to be remembered for his courage and for his faith,” Erika started.
After acknowledging the couple’s faith and the “worldwide outpouring” of support she’s received in light of her husband’s death, she went on to send a pointed message to Charlie’s alleged killer.
“The evildoers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done,” she said.
“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 have just unleashed on this country,” Erika continued, adding that “the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”
“No one will ever forget my husband’s name and I will make sure of it,” she vowed. “My husband’s mission will never end”
She then recalled how she broke the news of her husband’s death to their 3-year-old by telling her that he was on a “work trip with Jesus.”
She closed by addressing her husband, promising to “never let [his] legacy die” and said “I can’t wait to see you again, one day.”
Erika signed off, offering a final thank you and a “God bless” to Charlie’s fans.
Charlie, who founded the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, died on Sept. 10 after he was shot during his speaking engagement at Utah Valley University. He was 31.
His appearance at the college was apart of his “American Comeback Tour,” which was traveling to multiple college campuses across the country. In her address, Erika promised that the tour will go on as planned.
Celebrities and public figures alike all mourned Charlie’s death on social media including Trump.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” he wrote on his Truth Social account soon after Charlie’s death was confirmed.
“No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us,” the president wrote.
“Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
The couple celebrated their seven-year anniversary of their first date earlier this month, according to one of Erika’s 2023 Instagram posts.
“5 years ago today, we sat inside Bills Burgers in NYC deep in conversation and banter over theology, philosophy, and politics and at the end, you paused, looked at me and said, ‘I’m going to date you,’” she captioned her carousel of cozy photos of the two.
Two years after their date, Charlie proposed to Erika in December 2020. They married in Arizona on May 8, 2021.
In addition to their daughter, the couple are also parents to a 1-year-old son.