Turning Point USA, the conservative grassroots organization founded by Charlie Kirk in 2012, announced Thursday that Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, was unanimously elected to succeed him as chief executive officer and chairwoman of the board of directors.
“In prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his death,” the board revealed in a statement. “Charlie prepared all of us for a moment like this one. He worked tirelessly to ensure Turning Point USA was built to survive even the greatest tests. And now, it is our great pride to announce Erika Kirk as the new CEO and Chair of the Board for Turning Point USA.”
Erika Kirk's first statement after the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk
The board added, “We will not surrender or kneel before evil. We will carry on. The attempt to destroy Charlie’s work will become our chance to make it more powerful and enduring than ever before.”
Charlie Kirk, 31, was assassinated while speaking to students at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Authorities arrested Tyler Robinson, 22, and charged him with murder. Utah prosecutors said they intend to seek the death penalty. Investigators released alleged messages between Robinson and his transgender boyfriend in which he confessed to the killing, and prosecutors said he also told his parents, “there is too much evil and the guy spreads too much hate.”
President Donald Trump, a close ally of Charlie Kirk, praised his work on social media, writing: “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.” On Thursday, Trump suggested Kirk might have become a chief executive himself one day. Many Republicans credited Kirk’s activism with helping them make inroads among younger voters, particularly men.
Charlie Kirk built Turning Point into a powerhouse on college campuses, honing his debate skills in efforts to convert students to conservatism and cultivating relationships with leading politicians and activists.
Erika Kirk, 29, who runs her own nonprofit, Everyday Heroes Like You, vowed to carry on her husband’s mission. “Charlie prepared all of us for a moment like this one. He worked tirelessly to ensure Turning Point USA was built to survive even the greatest tests,” she said in remarks released by the board.
On Friday night, Erika delivered a video address in which she spoke directly to those celebrating her husband’s death: “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.”
In her first live-streamed public remarks since the assassination, Erika added: “I’ll make Turning Point the biggest thing this nation has ever seen.”
A former Miss Arizona USA, Erika has long been a strong supporter of her husband’s activism, sometimes appearing on his popular podcast. She also hosts her own weekly faith-based podcast, “Midweek Rise Up,” and has launched a Christian streetwear fashion line. She spoke at Turning Point’s 10th annual Young Women’s Leadership Summit in June, where she and her husband encouraged young women to prioritize marriage and children.
Charlie and Erika Kirk began dating in 2019 and married in 2021. They have two young children together.
“All of us at Turning Point USA have a special role in carrying Charlie Kirk’s mantle and completing his vision of bringing us all closer to our Lord and fostering a prosperous country for generations to come,” the TPUSA board said.