Turning Point USA lost its beloved CEO and founder, Charlie Kirk, to an assassination last week. Who better to take his place than his widow, Erika?
Erika Kirk not only lost a friend and inspirational leader but also her much-loved husband last Wednesday. Now she has to raise their children alone. But she is not cowed by the horrific leftist violence that took her husband's life, and she will be taking his place as the CEO and chairwoman of the board at TPUSA.
During her heartbreaking but inspiring comments after Charlie's death, Erika declared, "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. To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die." She is more committed than ever to his life's work.
In the X post announcing Mrs. Kirk's new position, TPUSA’s Board explained that Charlie had told multiple executives within the organization that, if he should die prematurely, he would want his wife to take over his job. The TPUSA Board voted accordingly for her yesterday, on Constitution Day.
I love this interaction between Charlie and Erika. pic.twitter.com/qBlaBLraz6
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKsway) September 18, 2025
The statement from TPUSA began by citing Ecclesiastes in the Bible and expressing faith in God, just as Charlie always did:
In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon wrote that mankind is to be tested by God. Today we are facing such a test, yet we also know that God has prepared us with everything we need to overcome this ordeal.
It was the honor of our lives to serve as board members at Charlie's side. 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.
Charlie said he wanted his legacy to be his faith. And he wanted to inspire a whole generation of young patriots to carry on his work. The outpouring of love for him, not just in America but around the world, highlights his great success.
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The TPUSA board emphasized that every member of the organization has "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." It quoted Charlie's famous saying, "We have a country to save."
Notably, just before his death, Charlie expressed a goal of putting a TPUSA "Club America" chapter at every high school in the country (somewhere around 25,000). Since Charlie's assassination, TPUSA has had 37,000+ applications for new chapters.
Therefore, the Board affirmed:
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. May God Bless Erika, the Kirk family, and the entire team at Turning Point USA.
As Erika Kirk very truly said to her husband's murderer, "You have no idea what you have just unleashed across this entire country and this world."
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