Charlie Kirk’s assassination during an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 set off a chain of events that has rocked the nation’s political and cultural landscape. President Donald Trump blamed Kirk’s death on “the radical left”; conservative activists warned of “civil war”; journalists, publicists, and college faculty have been fired for their posts criticizing Kirk, who was a proclaimed free speech activist. On Wednesday, Jimmy Kimmel’s long-running late-night show was suspended by ABC after pressure from the administration following comments Kimmel made about the right’s reaction to Kirk’s death.
In the wake of Kirk’s death, eyes have turned to his widow, Erika. On Thursday, she was named the chief executive of Turning Point USA, the influential conservative youth organization Charlie co-founded. Erika’s ascension to the position of chief executive was something “Charlie expressed to multiple executives that … he wanted in the event of his death,” according to a post by TPUSA. Here’s what you need to know about Kirk’s widow and replacement as the head of the far-right group.
Erika Kirk (neé Frantzve) is 36-years-old. She was born and raised in Arizona, where she and Charlie lived at the time of his death. Erika competed in pageants in her youth, winning the title of Miss Arizona in 2012. She was also a collegiate basketball player at Regis University. According to her website, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University before earning a juris master from Liberty University, where she is currently pursuing a doctorate in biblical studies.
When did Charlie and Erika get married?
Charlie and Erika met in 2018 before getting engaged in December 2020 and tying the knot in May of 2021 in Scottsdale, Arizona. They have a three-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son. The couple never shared their children’s names or faces online.
Erika has a substantial social media presence, with 6.3 million followers on Instagram. She also spoke at TPUSA events, and regularly made appearances on Charlie’s podcast, The Charlie Kirk Show, including one in which the couple discussed their political leanings while answering a listener question about which of the two of them is more conservative. “Erika,” Charlie said decisively while Erika laughs. “By far. Not even close. I am a moderate compared to Erika,” Charlie said. “Erika is very conservative.” He went on to ask his wife if she thinks that having kids made her more conservative. “One hundred percent,” she said, “which I didn’t think was possible. And a better wife.”
On a Sept. 24, 2023 appearance on The Charlie Kirk Show, Erika espoused the ideals that have become the trademark of the trad wife movement, saying, “When it comes to your husband, he is your alpha. You are always to submit to your husband. Not in a way of slave versus master but in a help-mate way because you and your husband are one.”
Was Erika Kirk on Bravo’s Summer House?
Weirdly, yes. You may have seen her on Season 3 of Bravo’s reality show Summer House (clip here). During her brief appearance on the show, housemate Jordan Verroi says Erika is “beautiful and she happens to be religious.” In a 2019 Instagram post celebrating the completion of her juris master degree, Erika said that she “silently pursued this degree” while making career sacrifices like turning down a cast member position on Summer House.
Does Erika Kirk have any personal business ventures?
Erika Kirk was raised in a Catholic family and religion seems to be a central tenant of her life. She hosts a weekly devotional podcast called Midweek Rise Up. She’s also the CEO and founder of PROCLAIM, a clothing company which says its mission is to “spread the Gospel throughout a culture in desperate need of spiritual and sustainable transformation.” Hours before her husband was assassinated, she tweeted, ‘Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
How has Erika Kirk responded to Charlie’s death?
On Sept. 12, Erika Kirk made her first public appearance following her husband’s death. She spoke from his studio and vowed to carry on his legacy. “They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith, and of God’s love. They should all know this. If you thought my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea. You have no idea what you have unleashed across this country and this world. You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife.” She promised to “never let his legacy die” and make the TPUSA movement “the biggest thing this nation has ever seen.” In the same speech, Erika thanked President Trump. “Mr. President, my husband loved you,” she said. “And he knew that you loved him too.”
Kirk also posted an address commemorating Charlie on Instagram, and has since shared photos and videos with captions memorializing him. She is scheduled to speak at a service for Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance are also scheduled to speak.
What is next for Erika Kirk?
At a 2021 Turning Point event, Erika said, “Boss babe culture is completely antithetical to the gospel.” Earlier this summer at the Young Women’s Leadership Summit, Erika spoke in front of an audience of 3,000 people about how marriage had changed her life. Before she met Charlie, she said, she was not focused on “six kids and a white picket house fence. But that’s how amazing God is. When you meet the right man, everything shifts. When I met Charlie, that was it. I could care less about a career.” Erika told the young women gathered to hear her speak that she didn’t want them to chase a paycheck. “You’re not wasting a degree when you’re raising your children with wisdom, love and truth.”
Erika will now become one of the most powerful women executives in conservative politics after TPUSA announced on Sept. 18 via X that she will be the new CEO and Chair of the Board for the organization. “We will not surrender or kneel before evil,” the statement read. “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.”
