The killing of right-wing conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, and the following manhunt, sparked a wave of international reaction from across the political divide.
A single shot was fired at Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, and his death was announced by US President Donald Trump a short while later.
His widow, Erika Kirk, vows to never let his legacy die, saying in her first public statement on Friday: “The movement my husband built will not die.”
Mrs. Kirk added that Charlie’s message will continue through his campus tour of US universities and his podcast, though she did not specify the details of how they would continue.
Addressing her husband’s killer, she said: “You have no idea the fire that you ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”
She also expressed gratitude to Kirk’s staff, Vice President J.D. Vance, and President Donald Trump, addressing the president directly: “You supported him so well, as did he for you.”
On their children, she said she was grappling with how to tell their children, aged one and three, about Charlie’s sudden death.
This morning, Erika Kirk shared videos and photos on her Instagram showing her sitting beside her husband Charlie’s casket. In one video, she is seen kissing his hand as he lies in the casket dressed in a suit and tie. She can also be seen holding a medallion depicting a bald eagle, the national symbol of the United States.
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As a reminder, Vice President J.D. Vance flew to Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday to retrieve Kirk’s casket and transport it to Phoenix, Arizona—where Kirk’s family resides—aboard the vice-presidential aircraft, Air Force Two.
In her Instagram post, Mrs. Kirk reiterated comments she made during her first public address the previous evening, saying: “You. All of you. Will never. Ever. Forget my husband, I’ll make sure of it.
Rest in the arms of our Lord baby as he blankets you with the words I know your heart always strived to hear, ‘well done My good and faithful servant.'”
