Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, spoke before nearly 100,000 mourners at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, just 11 days after her husband was fatally shot. Her tribute, filled with forgiveness and grief, brought the stadium to silence.
Erika stunned many by forgiving the accused shooter, Tyler Robinson. “That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do.” She vowed to carry on his work at Turning Point USA, saying, “The answer to hate is not hate… the answer… is love.”
She recalled seeing her husband’s body in the hospital: “I saw the wound that ended his life… but there was something else, too… on his lips the faintest smile.” Doctors told her his death was instantaneous: “There was no pain, there was no fear.”
Donald Trump, the keynote speaker, called Kirk “a martyr now for America’s freedom.” He admitted, “That’s where I disagree with Charlie. I hate my opponents and I don’t want what’s best for them.” His hug with Erika went viral, sparking both discomfort and defense online.
Meanwhile, Robinson faces multiple felony charges, including aggravated murder, which could carry the death penalty.