As Turning Point USA mourns the loss of its founder, Charlie Kirk, it has decided his widow, Erika Kirk, will forge on as the new CEO of the organization.
In a post to social media, the group shared that Kirk had previously shared that he wanted his wife to take over the reins in the event of his death.
The board honored that request, making Erika Kirk the CEO and chair of the board.
“It was the honor of our lives to serve as board members at Charlie’s side,” the 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. 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,” the statement continued. “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.”
The appointment of Erika Kirk comes after many marveled at her strength in delivering her first messages following her husband’s assassination at Utah Valley University last week.
“If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before,” she said at the time, “you have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country … The cries of this widow will echo around the world, like a battle cry,” Kirk later added.
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