5 ways Charlie and Erika Kirk championed God, marriage

1. Keeping faith in a time of grief

In her first public address following Charlie Kirk’s murder, Erika Kirk reflected on her husband’s legacy and his love for God. 

“Charlie loved life. He loved his life. He loved America,” she said in a national address Friday night. “He loved nature, which always helped bring him closer to God.”

She recalled how much Charlie loved his family, asking his wife daily how he could better serve her and their two children. 

“Charlie always believed that God’s design for marriage and the family was absolutely amazing, and it is. It is. And it was the greatest joy of his life,” Erika said. “And over and over, he would tell all these young people to come and find their future spouse, become wives and husbands and parents.”

“And the reason why is because he wanted you all to experience what he had and still has,” she added. “He wanted everyone to bring Heaven into this Earth through love and joy that comes from raising a family. It’s beautiful.”

Despite her grief, Erika is remaining steadfast in her assurance of God's plan. “Our God, you guys, our God is so good.” 

Referencing Romans 8:28, she declared, "And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

In the aftermath of her husband's murder, Erika said she has seen an “outpouring of love for her husband” from people who he inspired to marry or develop a relationship with God.

The widow of the TPUSA founder promised that the movement her husband built will not die, declaring that it will “become stronger, bolder, louder, and greater than ever.” 

“The evildoers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done. They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith, and of God’s merciful love,” Erika maintained. 

“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,” she continued. “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.”

Prior to issuing a statement, Erika arrived in Phoenix, Arizona, on Thursday aboard Air Force Two alongside Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance. The plane carried Charlie Kirk's casket home from Utah. Uniformed Air Force officers carried his casket to and from the plane as Vance walked at the front right of the casket, touching it with his left hand. 

Erika carried her husband's cross necklace and chain and held hands with the second lady as she deplaned. 

Other images circulating on social media showed Kirk’s widow holding his cross necklace out the window of a vehicle as it drove past a crowd of mourning supporters following her arrival in Arizona. 

On the day of the TPUSA founder’s murder at Utah Valley University, Erika shared a Bible verse on her social media page hours before her husband’s death.

“Psalm 46:1 — God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” she wrote.