Erica Kirk, widow of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has been appointed as the new CEO of Turning Point USA, according to a Thursday report by CNN. The announcement comes just days after Charlie Kirk, who co-founded the organisation in 2012, was assassinated.
He had served as the face and driving force behind the group, which became one of the most prominent voices for conservative youth activism in America and a key player in mobilising support for Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.
The organisation’s board made the announcement in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that Charlie had expressed in earlier conversations that Erica should take over leadership in the event of his death. “We will not surrender or kneel before evil,” read
the board’s statement. “We will carry on.”
Announcing the decision, the board stated that they had long prepared for unforeseen tragedies. Charlie had worked tirelessly to ensure that Turning Point USA was built to endure even the most difficult tests.
In her first public comments since her husband’s death, Erica affirmed her commitment to continuing his legacy. “To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die,” she said during her address.
“My husband’s mission will not end, not even for a moment,” she added, vowing to press forward with the American Comeback Tour on college campuses this fall.
Charlie and Erica were engaged in 2020 and married the next year. They shared two young children.
Charlie Kirk died earlier this month during a campus event at Utah Valley University, when he was fatally shot by 22-year-old Washington County resident Tyler Robinson. He was 31. His funeral service is scheduled for Sunday.
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