Erika Kirk Describes Seeing Husband Charlie in the Hospital Immediately After His Assassination

Erika Kirk is sharing the emotional moment she first saw her husband, Charlie Kirk, in the hospital after he was shot.

Nearly two months after Charlie’s assassination during the first stop of his American Comeback Tour in Orem, Utah, Erika opened up about the surreal moments that followed the attack. In an interview with Fox News’ Jesse Watters, set to air in full on Wednesday evening, she recalled the shock and heartbreak of that day.

“When we walked into that room … he had this smirk on his face,” Erika said through tears. “That smirk, that smirk to me is that look of, ‘You thought you could stop what I’ve built. You thought you could end this vision, this movement, this revival. You thought you could do that by murdering me. You got my body; you didn’t get my soul.’ ”

Charlie, a right-wing political organizer and co-founder of the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA, had been at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 for his “Prove Me Wrong” tour event. While answering a student’s question about gun violence, he was shot in the neck.

He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, according to a Turning Point USA spokesperson. Shortly after, President Donald Trump confirmed Charlie’s death.

“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sept. 10. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.”

Two days later, Erika made her first public statement, speaking about her husband’s life, faith, and legacy during a press conference.

“Charlie always said that when he was gone, he wanted to be remembered for his courage and for his faith,” she said. “Most of all, Charlie loved his children, and he loved me with all of his heart.”

“I honestly have no idea what any of this means. I know that God does, but I don’t,” she continued, expressing gratitude to Trump, Charlie’s supporters, and his close friend JD Vance.

The following week, Erika assumed leadership as Turning Point USA’s CEO and board chair. In a public letter, the organization’s board shared that “in prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his death.”