In a stunning and deeply emotional address at her husband’s memorial, Erika Kirk stood before tens of thousands of mourners and a nation gripped by political tension to utter words that would reverberate far beyond the stadium walls: “I forgive him.” Just days after the assassination of her husband, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Erika directly addressed Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of his murder, and offered a grace that left many in awe and others in disbelief. Her declaration wasn’t just a personal act of mercy; it was a public testament to a faith that chooses love over vengeance, even in the face of unimaginable loss.
Erika’s speech at Glendale’s State Farm Stadium was a raw and heartfelt eulogy that painted a picture of a deeply personal love story, a shocking tragedy, and a spiritual conviction strong enough to forgive an assassin. While powerful political figures around her, including President Trump and Vice President Vance, spoke of hatred, blame, and cultural war, Erika presented a counter-narrative rooted in her Christian faith. She emerged not only as a grieving widow but as a poised new leader, vowing to continue the very work that cost her husband his life, all while extending forgiveness to the young man accused of taking it.
A Widow’s Grief and a Faith That Endures
Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s wife, says she forgives the man who assassinated her husband:
“That young man, I forgive him”
— Pop Base (@PopBase) September 21, 2025
Erika Kirk’s forgiveness wasn’t a casual aside; it was a central, powerful moment in a speech filled with personal anguish and profound love. She described the horrifying moment she had to identify her husband’s body in a Utah hospital after he was shot on September 10th at Utah Valley University. “I saw the wound that ended his life,” she shared. “I felt shock, I felt horror, and a level of heartache that I didn’t even know existed.”
Yet, even in that depths of that despair, she found a sliver of comfort, noticing the “single gray hair on the side of his head” and what she saw as a “faint smile” on his lips, which she took as a sign from God that he did not suffer.
This ability to find mercy amidst horror paved the way for her public forgiveness. She framed her act through the lens of her and Charlie’s shared faith. “My husband, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she stated. Connecting Robinson to the very people Charlie sought to help, she explained, “That man, that young man… I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do.”
She quoted Jesus on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” For Erika, the path forward was clear: “The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love—love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”
This spiritual conviction even extends to the potential punishment for Tyler Robinson. In an interview, Erika revealed she does not want to be the one to decide if he faces the death penalty, telling her lawyer, “I do not want that man’s blood on my ledger.” She expressed a fear that demanding an “eye for an eye” could compromise her own spiritual salvation and her hope of being reunited with Charlie in heaven.
Carrying a Legacy Forward Amidst a Nation Divided
BREAKING: In a New York Times interview this morning, Erika Kirk stated she wants the government to determine whether Tyler Robinson, the alleged ass*ssin of Charlie, should face the d*ath penalty. “I do not want that man’s bl00d on my ledger.”
“I’m a strong believer that this… pic.twitter.com/Y22prQiYE1
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) September 21, 2025
Erika Kirk’s message stood in stark contrast to the other speakers at the memorial. President Donald Trump, while praising Charlie as a “great American hero,” openly admitted, “I hate my opponents and I don’t want the best for them,” adding a quick “I’m sorry, Erika” for the divergence in philosophy. Vice President JD Vance warned against ignoring evil “for a fake kumbaya moment.” Yet Erika’s call for love and forgiveness cut through the political rhetoric, offering a different kind of strength.
She also used the moment to step firmly into her new role as the CEO of Turning Point USA, the organization Charlie founded. “His passion was my passion, and now his mission is my mission,” she declared, vowing to make her husband’s work “ten times greater through the power of his memory.” She promised to continue the campus events that defined Charlie’s activism, with the first one scheduled for later this month, sending a clear message: “No assassin will ever stop us from standing up.”
Erika Kirk also shared touching personal details that revealed the foundation of their partnership. She described how Charlie wrote her a love note every single Saturday, each one ending with the question, “Please let me know how I can better serve you as a husband.” She urged other men to be “leaders worth following” in their families, emphasizing that a wife is “not your servant… not your employee… not your slave. She is your helper.” In doing so, she painted a picture of a man whose life was dedicated to his faith, family, and country, a legacy she now intends to protect, not with hatred, but with a resilient and forgiving love.
