Feature
By Erika Kirk, Turning Point USA
9/23/25
| Friend, I don’t know how else to begin except with this: I miss him. Every breath. Every heartbeat. Every memory I now replay in my mind… I miss him. My husband, Charlie Kirk, was the love of my life. You may know him as a fighter for freedom. A warrior for truth. The founder of Turning Point USA. The host of a nationally syndicated radio show. A bold conservative voice that gave courage to a generation. But to me… He was just Charlie. |
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| He was my best friend. The father of our two precious babies. The man who made me laugh when the world felt too heavy. The man who, every single morning without fail, would look at me and ask: “How can I love you better today?” That’s who Charlie really was. That’s who I fell in love with. And I want to tell you that story, Friend. We met at what I thought was a job interview. Charlie messaged me in August of 2018 — very Charlie-like — short, direct, and bold: “Hey, I need to meet with you. Urgently.” I thought it was about a position with Turning Point. It wasn’t. He took me to Bill’s Burgers in NYC. I thought I was about to be grilled for a role… and instead, I was grilled about Aristotle, theology, the Constitution, and how I saw my future. Three and a half hours of deep conversation, and by the end of it, I still didn’t know what to think. Then Charlie looked at me and said: “I’m not going to hire you. I’m going to date you.” I froze. I told him, “Maybe we should just be friends first.” He didn’t skip a beat: “I have enough friends.” That was Charlie. Clarity. Conviction. A heart that always knew exactly what it wanted. And completely unshakable when he knew what was right. God knew I needed someone who would say, “I’m not playing games. I’m not going to play with your heart. I’m a loyal person. I’m a good person. I’m a God-fearing person. I want to date you.” God just knew that I needed someone like that. And He said, “Here’s Charlie.” We fell fast — and we fell deep. It wasn’t glamorous. Our lives were chaotic. Travel, pressure, early mornings, and late nights. But we understood each other… Charlie had found his mission. And I had found mine — to stand by his side. |
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| He loved God. He loved me and our family. He loved America. He loved this movement. Charlie also believed in you, Friend. He believed in the students who had never heard the truth before. He believed in the greatness of America — even when things were dark or felt hopeless to us all. Charlie was a father, a husband, a leader, and a warrior. But above all, Charlie was obedient… Obedient to God. To his conscience. To the mission placed on his heart. Charlie and I didn’t just build a life together — we built a calling. And now… I don’t just bear his calling — I will lead. I will lead the movement he built forward, in Charlie’s name and for God’s glory. |
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| Before Charlie died, he often repeated one verse more than any other: |
| “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’” ~ Isaiah 6:8 |
| Charlie answered that call every day of his life. Now, it’s my turn. And if you’re reading this — maybe it’s yours, too. We are all being called. To serve. To love boldly. To stand. To fight for what matters. Because Charlie’s life was not taken in vain. The evil that tried to silence him has only made his voice louder. We will carry the torch, Friend. Together. And the mission Charlie started — it will become greater than we ever imagined. Because God is not done. And neither are we. With faith, love, strength, and unshakable hope… |
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| Erika Kirk CEO & Chair of the Board Turning Point USA Support Turning Point USA |
| P.S. Friend, you may have seen this already, but I want to share this with you anyways… Charlie loved witnessing excellence. It’s why he loved sports so much. He loved watching the best of the best perform at the level of greatness God intended for them. Friend, that’s why this photo… One of the very last photos ever taken of Charlie… …Took the breath right out of my chest: |
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| Because I know that look… I fell in love with that look. He’s in athlete mode. Locked in. Dialed. Focused. It’s how I first met him — driven, intense, humble, and joyful in the simplest moments. Just Charlie. In his element. I remembered the early days of dating, us on a basketball court. No lights, no crowd, no noise — just the sound of sneakers on pavement. We bonded over how Jordan was the GOAT, and he told me about his basketball days in high school and I told him about my basketball days in college. He wore a red bracelet on his wrist that read: “Work harder. Be better.” He never took it off. Until one day, a student came up to him after a speech and asked about it. Charlie slipped it off and gave it to them. That was who he was. He saw greatness in others, even when they couldn’t yet see it in themselves. That’s what I see in this photo — Greatness. To me, this is Charlie’s “Jordan” photo. Because this was his prime… Because this was Charlie at the height of everything he lived for — his purpose, his calling, his mission… He trained his whole life for this exact moment, the moment he’d be called home. He gave it everything. Mind. Body. Soul. And now, this image is permanently etched in time, held in my heart, as I admire his greatness. Forever. Friend, I want you to know — his mission didn’t end. It won’t ever stop… Because it’s alive in me. It’s alive in our children. It’s alive in the millions he’s inspired. And if you’re reading this, I know it’s alive in you, too. Friend, Charlie’s life — it was so much bigger than politics… It was about a man laying down his life, every single day, for something eternal. And now, he’s running his race where it really counts — where it never ends. Charlie, I miss you. I pray you’re having the most amazing time in Heaven. And Charlie, baby, I promise I will never let your legacy slow or go silent. I promise I’ll make Turning Point USA the biggest thing that this nation has ever seen. I promise. I love you, baby. Rest in the arms of our Lord as he blankets you with the words I know your heart always strived to hear: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” You lived life well. You earned it. And I promise… I’ll carry the torch you lit from here. We’ll all carry it from here. |
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