Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk speaks after his death. Photo / YouTube
Charlie Kirk’s wife has spoken publicly for the first time after her husband was shot dead during a university visit.
Erika Kirk spoke behind a podium emblazoned with a picture of Charlie Kirk, underneath the words: “May Charlie be received into the merciful arms of Jesus, our loving Saviour”.
She began by thanking police, first responders and Turning Point USA “for all their work in these terrible days”.
“My heart is with every one of my husband’s employees who lost a friend and a mentor,” she continued.
Speaking through tears, Erika Kirk thanked President Donald Trump and his family for their support after the shooting.
“Mr President, my husband loved you. And he knew that you loved him too. He did. Your friendship was amazing. You supported him so well, as did he for you.”
She also thanked Vice-President JD Vance and his wife Usha for “bringing him home”.
“Charlie said if he ever ran for office, his top priority would be to revive the American family. That was his priority,” Erika Kirk continued.
“Charlie loved life. He loved his life. He loved America.
“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.“
She went on to call him a “perfect” father, weeping throughout her comments.
Later in her speech, Erika Kirk addressed “the evildoers responsible” for her husband’s “assassination”.
“You have no idea what they have done. They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith and of God’s merciful love.
“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 have just unleashed across this entire country and this world, you have no idea.“
Erika Kirk also vowed to keep the campus tour her husband started going.
“He never gave up. One of his mottos was never surrender. So I want to tell that we will never surrender. The campus tour will continue. There will be even more tours in the years ahead to come,” she said.
“In a world filled with chaos, doubt and uncertainty, my husband’s voice will remain.”
Towards the end of her speech, Erika Kirk urged young people to join her late husband’s political movement. She also called on people to become members of a church.
She then sent a message to her late husband: “I promise I will never let your legacy die”, vowing to make his movement the “biggest thing this nation has ever seen”.
Police have arrested 22-year-old student Tyler Robinson and charged him in relation to Charlie Kirk’s death. They are also understood to be looking into whether the suspected killer had an accomplice.
The Sun can reveal that FBI agents are investigating footage that allegedly shows suspected gunman Tyler Robinson on a doorbell camera talking about the shooting moments after the assassination.
Questions are now reportedly being asked as to whether the 22-year-old had someone help him or who knew about the killing but remained silent.
Detectives interviewed a family on Thursday afternoon (local time) who lived in the neighbourhood next to the university campus and handed over the footage.
- Additional reporting by NZ Herald.