Erika Kirk Shares Her Experience of Seeing Charlie Kirk’s Body After the Shooting: Interview Highlights
Erika Kirk recently appeared for her first televised interview following the passing of her husband, Charlie Kirk, earlier this year.
“I can’t help but smile when I hear or say his name,” Erika, 36, shared during the episode of Jesse Watters Primetime on Wednesday, November 5. “He was the love of my life, and he still is.”
The couple was married from May 2021 until Charlie’s tragic death in September. They are parents to a daughter and a son born in 2022 and 2024, respectively.
Charlie was fatally shot on September 10 while he was addressing an audience at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The co-founder of Turning Point USA succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to a local hospital. He was just 31 years old.
“It is with a heavy heart that we, the Turning Point USA leadership team, report that Charlie has gone to his eternal reward with Jesus Christ in heaven,” stated Turning Point USA at the time.
The alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, turned himself into police two days later and has not yet entered a plea regarding charges that include aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, as well as violent offense committed in the presence of a child.
Just two days after Charlie’s passing, Erika spoke publicly for the first time during an X livestream.
“Charlie, I promise I will never let your legacy fade, baby. I won’t,” she expressed in the video. “Oh, Charlie, I love you. I love you, baby. Rest in the arms of our Lord, as He blankets you with the words I know your heart always longed to hear: ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.’”
Later that month, during Charlie’s public memorial service, Erika gave an emotional eulogy, explaining her decision to forgive her husband’s alleged assailant.
“I forgive him because that is what Christ would do,” she stated. “The solution to hate is not more hate.”
Erika shared her insights during a New York Times interview published the same day as the memorial service.
“I’ve been asked so many times, ‘Do you feel anger towards this man? Do you want the death penalty?’” she recounted to the outlet. “Honestly, I told our lawyer that I want the government to handle this. I do not want that man’s blood on my ledger because when I arrive in heaven, I don’t want to be questioned by Jesus about a vengeful act. Would that prevent me from being with Charlie?”
The following month, Erika responded to criticism surrounding her public mourning of Charlie’s death.
“There is no set path for grief. One moment you may be collapsed on the floor crying out to Jesus, and in another, you could be enjoying time with your children, surrounded by family photos, feeling a rush of bittersweet joy,” she expressed on Instagram in October. “Time may heal, but love doesn’t seek healing; it seeks remembrance. It’s humbling to realize that such immense suffering didn’t diminish my love for my husband—it deepened it and crystallized it.”
“I carry Charlie with me in every breath, ache, and routine action as I learn to navigate this new rhythm,” she added. “Through these challenging days, I’ve discovered that greater suffering leads to a purer love. And I have never loved him more than I do now.”
Continue reading for the most significant insights from Erika’s conversation with Watters:
Erika Kirk and Charlie Kirk ‘Always’ Received Death Threats
Erika Kirk revealed that prior to Charlie’s murder, they frequently received alarming messages online.
“We often received kidnapping threats; it was nothing new to us,” she noted. “We received death threats as well; that was a regular occurrence.”
In the lead-up to Charlie’s college tour appearance, Erika suggested he consider wearing a safety vest.
“I used to say, ‘Charlie, have you ever thought about a vest?’ He’d acknowledge that and say, ‘I’ve looked into it,’ but he always added, ‘if they want to get me, they will,’” she recalled. “He wasn’t afraid; it wouldn’t have mattered.”
Why Erika Kirk Wasn’t With Charlie Kirk at College Tour Event
At the time of the Turning Point event in Utah, Erika had to remain in Arizona with her mother due to a health issue.
“He said, ‘Home needs you … Come with me to the next event on Thursday.’ That night, he was so excited,” she recalled, adding that Charlie was running late that morning and didn’t have time to give her a goodbye kiss.
How Erika Kirk Learned About the Shooting
Erika shared that she was at a “doctor’s appointment” with her mother when she received the call about her husband’s death.
“I was looking at my phone and saw a video of him throwing out hats. I said, ‘Mom, look, it started.’ We watched the hats being thrown. I put my phone down, and it was on silent,” she remembered. “I didn’t think to check it again. Once I moved my mom, I went back to grab my phone, and that’s when Mikey started calling me.”
Upon hearing the news, Erika was determined to be by her husband’s side.
“I’m just like, ‘Charlie’s been shot. He’s been shot. Grab the kids. Get security. He’s been shot!’ I dashed out of the treatment center, collapsing in the parking lot,” she reflected.
Erika Kirk Recalls Seeing Charlie Kirk in the Hospital After His Death
Once Erika arrived in Utah, she made a beeline for the hospital to see Charlie. Although law enforcement advised against it, she remained resolute.
“The room fell silent; some believed it was wise for me to not go in while others thought it was impossible to stop me. I responded, ‘With all due respect, sir, I need to see what they did to my husband and kiss him; I didn’t get to say goodbye this morning,’” she expressed. “I said the same to the doctor.”
The doctor permitted Erika to see Charlie and remarked that he still looked “so alive.”
“He was still warm, his eyes slightly open, and he had that familiar smirk,” she shared. “To me, it signified three things: he died doing what he loved, he was at peace, and I got to give him a kiss.”
Erika Kirk ‘Never’ Watched the Video of Charlie Kirk’s Death
Despite the video of Charlie’s death circulating widely on social media, Erika Kirk has never seen it and has no intention of watching it in the future.
“There are certain images etched in your mind permanently,” she remarked. “I want my husband’s public assassination to be something I never witness. I don’t want my children to see it either, and those who derive pleasure from such a thing are genuinely unwell.”
What Erika Kirk Conveyed to Jimmy Kimmel After His Remarks on Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Killer
After Jimmy Kimmel Live! was briefly off the air following his comments regarding Charlie’s death, Erika communicated a message to the late-night show through the Turning Point team.
“I asked them to relay our gratitude, saying, ‘We received your note. This is not our issue or mess. If you genuinely want to express sorrow to someone grieving, feel free. But if that’s not heartfelt, then save it. I don’t want it; I don’t need it,’” she stated.
What Erika Kirk Tells Her and Charlie Kirk’s Children
Erika revealed that her daughter “continues to ask” where her father is, and she reassures her that Charlie is in “heaven.”
“She asks, ‘So does that mean he’s in a different house?’ And I respond, ‘Yes, sweetie, he is building a house for us. Some might call it a mansion,’” she recounted. “Children are so precious. I tell her, ‘We will all go there one day. We will all go there one day.’ It leaves me speechless because it’s for the kids and helps me convey to them, ‘Daddy is thinking of you and loves you and all these people.’”
Why Erika Kirk Forgave Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assailant
Erika publicly forgave Tyler Robinson during her eulogy for Charlie. She explained her reasoning behind this choice.
“Many believe forgiveness is a weakness or that it means forgetting, but it’s actually the opposite. It provides freedom; the enemy stole my husband,” she confessed. “It’s more for me than for this man because the enemy would seek to claim my heart, and I knew that God forgives all of us for things, small and great. It’s not easy, but it’s liberating. It’s a way for me to declare, ‘You will not win.’”
Regarding the possibility of Robinson receiving the death penalty, she expressed that she doesn’t want to carry such a burden.
“I don’t want this man’s blood on my ledger before the Lord,” she asserted. “I want the government to make that decision. It’s biblical as well. Justice will ultimately prevail.”
Erika Kirk Thanks Vice President JD Vance for His Support
Erika Kirk conveyed her appreciation for JD Vance and his wife, Usha, for their unwavering support after Charlie’s death.
“They are incredible people filled with genuine love,” she said about the couple. “Everything they did for us was so compassionate. They truly were there for us.”
How Erika Kirk Feels Resuming Charlie Kirk’s Tour
As Erika continues Charlie Kirk’s college tour, she emphasized that she feels secure because she senses her husband’s presence beside her. She added that Charlie would be proud of what they have accomplished.
“He would be blown away,” she reflected. “He always envisioned these events filling stadiums. He wanted them to be massive and loved outdoor gatherings, of course.”
