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Topics: Charlie Kirk, US News, Politics, Donald Trump
Britt Jones
Topics: Charlie Kirk, US News, Politics, Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump has issued an update on Charlie Kirk’s wife after his assassination. The 31-year-old political activist was shot in the neck as he spoke to a 3000-strong crowd at Utah Valley University on Wednesday (10 September).
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was under a white gazebo and was answering a question asked by Hunter Kozak when a single shot hit him.
Since then, there have been many updates on the manhunt, which ended with Tyler Robinson being named as the primary suspect, after the 22-year-old was handed to police by his own father.
While friends, allies, and even criticisers of Kirk’s have come out to condemn the murder, Erika Kirk has been left a widow and a single mother to their two children.
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The past two days have been a trying time for the family, who were seen today for the first time since his death, walking from the Air Force Two jet alongside Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha.
Usha and Erika held hands, and wore black as they dismounted and climbed into a vehicle.
Erika, noticing supporters outside, waved through the open window, whilst holding a chain and silver cross.
The jet was transporting Kirk's body from Utah to Arizona.
Trump spoke yesterday (11 September) with Erika, and shared how she is coping. As you’d imagine, it’s an incredibly difficult time.
“I spoke to Erika, his wife. And we had a long talk. And she’s devastated. She is absolutely devastated, as you can imagine,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for New York City.
Then, during an interview appearance this morning on Fox News' Fox & Friends, Trump said Erika wants to keep Turning Point USA running.
Kirk co-founded the group in 2012 when he was 18 years old.
Erika currently hosts the Midweek Rise Up podcast.
"I spoke to his wife yesterday, she's devastated, but in between the devastation they want to keep Turning Point going because so many people called in to me with donations," the president said to the broadcast station. "I don't know, do we give donations to her? Do we give it to Turning Point? Do we give it to any one of the hundreds of colleges that he worked with or universities?"
Trump added: "They want to keep Turning Point going, they think they can do it, he had a very good staff."
He went on to pay tribute to him, stating: "He was such a great guy...you know, in many ways, he's bigger now because of what happened. He was really big, important, and I guess this doesn't help his family very much when I say this...You know we have so many bad people, so many bad philosophies, ideologies, politics—his was basically just good. He talked about family, he talked about getting married, go get married, sounds old fashioned when you think about it, but he's right."
Many have come out to share their thoughts on Kirk, such as Vance, who said on X: "So much of the success we've had in this administration traces directly to Charlie's ability to organize and convene. He didn't just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government."