Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, has been appointed as the new CEO and chair of the board for Turning Point USA.
The organization announced on Thursday that the late CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, who was shot and killed at an event last week, had previously expressed that he would want his wife to lead in the event of his death.
Turning Point USA has released the following statement: “In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon wrote that mankind is to be tested by God. Today we are facing such a test, yet we also know that God has prepared us with everything we need to overcome this ordeal.
“It was the honor of our lives to serve as board members at Charlie’s side. 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. 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 all closer to our Lord and fostering a prosperous country for generations to come. 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 co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 and transformed it into one of the country’s most influential conservative organizations. It has been credited with broadly inspiring young Americans to support Trump and the Maga movement.
Turning Point has also been the subject of several controversies. In 2017, the New Yorker published an article showcasing the experiences of minority former staff members of the group. Employees described witnessing widespread discrimination against minorities within the organization.
Erika Kirk graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in political science and international relations and Liberty University with a juris master’s degree in 2017, and received a doctorate in Christian leadership in 2022. She is currently the owner of the faith-based fashion brand Proclaim Streetwear.
She worked previously as an actor and model and has competed in beauty pageants, winning Miss Arizona USA in 2012, and played collegiate basketball for Regis University in Denver, Colorado. She married Charlie Kirk in Arizona in May 2021.
A public memorial service in remembrance of Charlie Kirk will be held on 21 September at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and several prominent political figures are expected to attend, including Donald Trump, JD Vance and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio.
Trump revealed earlier this week that he plans to award Charlie Kirk, who was a close ally of his administration, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The president missed Kirk’s Sunday night vigil held in Washington DC.
Source link
