Following the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, his organization, Turning Point USA, has unanimously chosen his widow, Erika Frantzve Kirk, to serve as the CEO and chairman of the board.
Members of the Turning Point board shared an open letter on social media this week, explaining the changes. The letter said, “In prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his death.”
“It was the honor of our lives to serve as board members at Charlie’s side,” the letter continued. “Charlie prepared all of us for a moment like this one. He worked tirelessly to ensure that Turning Point USA was built to survive even the greatest tests. And now, it is our great pride to announce Erika Kirk as the new CEO and Chair of the Board for Turning Point USA.”
“All of us at Turning Point USA have a special role in carrying Charlie Kirk’s mantle and completing his vision of bringing us closer to our Lord and fostering a prosperous country for generations to come,” the statement added. “The attempt to destroy Charlie’s work will become our chance to make it more powerful and enduring than ever before.”
Charlie Kirk became well-known after co-founding Turning Point USA at 18 to promote conservative politics on high school and college campuses.
His radio show, The Charlie Kirk Show, made him a close ally of Donald Trump leading up to the 2020 election. He became an influential voice in the Republican Party, especially among young voters.
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Charlie often went viral on social media for debates with liberal-leaning students at campuses nationwide. He was hosting one of his “Prove Me Wrong” debate events at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 when he was shot and killed.
Kirk married podcaster and former Miss Arizona USA Erika Frantzve in 2021, and the couple had two children: a daughter born in 2022 and a son born in 2024.
Erika spoke about her husband’s death on The Charlie Kirk Show two days after the tragedy.
“Charlie always said that when he was gone, he wanted to be remembered for his courage and for his faith,” Erika said. “Most of all, Charlie loved his children, and he loved me with all of his heart. My husband laid down his life for me, for our nation, for our children.”
She also revealed that plans for Charlie’s American Comeback Tour would continue in the fall.
“I honestly have no idea what any of this means. I know that God does, but I don’t,” she said. “All the evildoers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done.”
Matt Lamb, a former Turning Point USA official, told PEOPLE, “Certainly, he has a more important legacy than Turning Point in his wife and his two kids.”
