Turning Point USA announced Thursday that Erika Kirk, widow of assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was unanimously elected as the organization’s new CEO and chair of the board.
The conservative youth organization said Charlie Kirk had previously told executives he wanted his wife to lead Turning Point USA if he died. Kirk was shot and killed September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University.
“In prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his death,” the organization said in a post on X.
Erika Kirk, 29, becomes leader of one of the most influential conservative organizations credited with mobilizing young Republican voters. Turning Point USA has a presence on 3,500 college campuses nationwide and played a key role in energizing youth support for President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.
“It was the honor of our lives to serve as board members at Charlie’s side,” the current board said in a statement. “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.”
The new Chair & CEO of Turning Point's!!
Drop a❤ for Erika Kirk!! pic.twitter.com/fg6xC13D0F— Trump Lover❤🇮🇳🇺🇸 (@SUBRATA30016572) September 18, 2025
Charlie Kirk founded the organization in 2012 at age 18 with Tea Party activist William Montgomery. The group grew rapidly under Kirk’s leadership, hosting rallies and campus events while establishing chapters at universities across the country.
Erika Kirk had already signaled her intention to continue her husband’s work. In her first public remarks after the assassination, she vowed to expand the organization’s reach.
“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,” she said. “To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die.”
She promised to continue Turning Point USA’s college campus tours, its AmericaFest conference, and Charlie Kirk’s radio show and podcast that frequently topped Spotify and Apple charts.
“If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea,” Erika Kirk said. “I’m going to make Turning Point USA the biggest thing that this nation has ever seen.”
The organization emphasized continuity in its leadership transition. Mikey McCoy, Turning Point’s chief of staff, said he had confidence in Erika Kirk’s ability to maintain the organization’s direction.
“Hearing her thoughts and the way she’s talking and breaking things down, I felt like for the first time, I was speaking to Charlie,” McCoy said on The Charlie Kirk Show Thursday.
Erika Kirk will be joined by four other board directors: attorney and Manhattan pastor David Engelhardt, financial planner Doug DeGroote, Precision Payroll of America CEO Tom Sodeika, and an unnamed fourth member.
The succession comes as federal authorities continue investigating Charlie Kirk’s cold blooded assassination. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated murder and is being held without bail. Utah prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty.
Robinson was radicalized by a far-Left group and allegedly told his parents he killed Kirk because “there is too much evil and the guy spreads too much hate,” according to charging documents. FBI Director Kash Patel said authorities are investigating more than 20 people in the group linked to Robinson through Discord messages.
Erika Kirk is scheduled to speak at her husband’s memorial service Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are among those expected to attend the 63,000-seat venue.
The Department of Homeland Security designated the memorial as a Special Event Assessment Rating Level 1 event, reserved for occasions of the highest national significance.
Charlie Kirk’s body was flown to Arizona on Air Force Two, accompanied by Vice President Vance and Erika Kirk. Trump announced he will posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The couple married in 2021 and have two young children. Erika Kirk told her daughter that daddy is “on a work trip with Jesus so he can afford your blueberry budget.”
Erika Kirk holds a degree in American Legal Studies from Liberty University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Biblical studies. She founded Proclaim, a faith-based clothing line, and hosts her own podcast called “Midweek Rise Up.” She is also a former Miss Arizona USA and collegiate basketball player.
The board emphasized the organization’s commitment to Charlie Kirk’s mission despite his death.
“All of us at Turning Point USA have a special role in carrying Charlie Kirk’s mantle and completing his vision of bringing us all closer to our Lord and fostering a prosperous country for generations to come,” the statement said. “As Charlie always said, ‘We have a country to save.'”
“We will not surrender or kneel before evil. We will carry on. The attempt to destroy Charlie’s work will become our chance to make it more powerful and enduring than ever before.”
Charlie Kirk’s podcast has been hosted by rotating guests since his death, including Vice President Vance on Monday. The organization has not announced who will permanently host the show.
The memorial service Sunday is expected to serve as both a tribute to Charlie Kirk and a rallying point for the conservative movement he helped build.