Erika Kirk reveals poignant final warning she gave husband Charlie the night before he died

Erika Kirk has revealed the poignant final warning she gave to her husband Charlie, the night before he died.

Earlier this month (10 September), the 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder, best known for his highly polarising views, Second Amendment advocacy, and staunch allyship to Donald Trump's MAGA ideals, was fatally shot while speaking at a university event in Utah, with the suspected shooter believed to be 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.

It was Kirk's funeral on Sunday (21 September), which took place at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with the event seeing dozens of thousands in attendance, including fellow political figures like Trump, JD Vance and Elon Musk.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Erika revealed that Kirk had repeatedly received death threats over the past year and had been travelling with a security team for months.

Erika Kirk has opened up about the final warning she gave to her husband Charlie before he was shot and killed (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

During a dinner in Phoenix with a friend before the final rally, where Kirk was shot, she reportedly begged her husband to wear a bulletproof vest

However, when Kirk refused to wear such a vest, Erika recalled that a friend suggested he speak from behind a screen of bulletproof glass in order to give him some protection.

According to Erika, who has now taken over from Kirk as leader of Turning Point USA, the far-right campaigner replied: "Not yet."

Kirk then allegedly assured that he had confidence in his security team and noted that additional security would be present at the Utah Valley University event.

In the interview, Erika admitted that she wondered if her husband had 'surrendered to the prospect' that he could have his life cut short.

A reported 60,000 people were in attendance at Kirk's funeral on Sunday (21 September) (Win McNamee / Staff / Getty Images)

During the funeral, Erika explained that she had forgiven her husband’s murderer and said it was what Charlie would do.

"That young man, that young man," she said. "On the cross, our saviour said: 'Father, forgive them for they not know what they do'.

"That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do."

She concluded: "The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love, love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us."

Trump, however, has strongly advocated for the death penalty in the killing of his close associate of many years.

Under state law, only aggravated murder can carry the death penalty.