On Thursday, Sept. 18, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) announced that Erika Kirk, 36, widow of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, would become its new CEO and chair of the board.
“The Turning Point Board has unanimously elected Erika Kirk as the new CEO and Chair of the Board,” TPUSA said in a statement posted to social media. “In prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his death.”
Charlie Kirk co-founded TPUSA at the age of 18 and led the organization until he was fatally shot on Wednesday, Sept. 10, while speaking during his The American Comeback Tour stop at Utah Valley University. Kirk was 31.
Erika, who often spoke at her husband’s events, is a former Miss Arizona, hosts a devotional podcast, and founded a nonprofit and a clothing brand. Charlie and Erika were married in May 2021. The Kirks have two children under the age of 4.
During a public address given two days after her husband was assassinated, Erika vowed to continue what Charlie started. She said:
They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith, and of God’s merciful love. They should all know this: If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you had no idea. You [have] no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country, in this world…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.
Board Members Recognize the Opportunity To Make TPUSA ‘More Powerful and Enduring Than Ever Before’
A statement endorsed by TPUSA board members Doug De Groote, Mike Miller, Tom Sodeika, and David Engelhardt named Erika the “new CEO and Chair of the Board for Turning Point USA.”
“In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon wrote that mankind is to be tested by God,” the statement read. “Today we are facing such a test, yet we also know that God has prepared us with everything we need to overcome this ordeal.”
The statement continued, “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.”
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