A clip of Erika Kirk taking the stage at the memorial service for her late husband Charlie Kirk on Sunday (September 21) has gone viral on social media.
The video shows the new Turning Point USA CEO walking onto a red-carpeted stage amid instrumental music and pyrotechnics.
Erika then covers her mouth and pauses to look at the crowd of tens of thousands of supporters, while the camera captures her from multiple angles.
Many netizens expressed surprise by the 36-year-old mother’s dramatic entrance, suggesting that the event organizers were turning grief into a spectacle.
Image credits: The White House / flickr
Image credits: Gage Skidmore / flickr
“A widow whose husband was brutally m*rdered, greeted with fireworks in a huge stadium. America is a fascinating culture. So different to Europe,” one user typed.
“Not sure if the sparklers are the best move here tbh,” another noted.
“Are they mourning or celebrating his d*ath?” an additional user asked. “She walked in like it was a wrestling match.”
“Why are there fireworks at the ‘memorial service’ for Charlie Kirk? This is a WWE script…” a separate user agreed.
The Turning Point CEO’s entrance included pyrotechnics and music
Image credits: Turning Point USA / YouTube
Image credits: SpencerHakimian
Another individual said the entrance was “very weird” and “uncomfortable” to watch, while someone else asked, “Is it a funeral or some rock concert???”
The massive event was a memorial service, not a funeral. Kirk will be laid to rest in Phoenix, which has been described as his “adoptive” hometown, Newsweek reported last Sunday.
Meanwhile, others supported Erika’s entrance. One person wrote, “This is a memorial to celebrate Charlie Kirk, and he loved sparklers.” Additionally, some have noted that pyrotechnics were common in Turning Point events.
Netizens described the event as resembling a wrestling match or a rock concert rather than a memorial
Image credits: SpencerHakimian
Held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the event combined a celebration of Kirk’s Christian values with a political call not to let his assassination silence the conservative movement, as per CNN.
Erika drew the strongest response from the crowd, vowing to continue the political activist’s work and offering forgiveness to his accused assassin, Tyler Robinson, in a powerful speech.
The mom of two quoted Jesus on the cross, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do,” and added, “I forgive him because it is what Christ did.”
She also said that Kirk “wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life” and that the conservative figure lost his life “with incomplete work, but not with unfinished business.”
Erika and Kirk met in 2018 and got married in 2021. They welcomed a daughter in August 2022 and a son in May 2024.
Image credits: SpencerHakimian
After Erika was elected CEO and chairwoman of Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded at age 18, the board stated that they would “not surrender or kneel before evil” and vowed to “carry on” with Kirk’s political objectives.
According to its website, the organization’s mission is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.
“Turning Point USA was built to survive even the greatest tests,” the board stated. “The attempt to destroy Charlie’s work will become our chance to make it more powerful and enduring than ever before.”
“Why are there fireworks at the ‘memorial service’ for Charlie Kirk? This is a WWE script…” one user noted
Image credits: SpencerHakimian
Image credits: Turning Point USA / YouTube
Kirk, 31, was assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10.
Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from Utah, has since been arrested and charged with aggravated m*rder and other offenses in connection with the crime. Prosecutors have indicated that they will seek the d*ath penalty.
The suspected assassin is set to appear in court again on September 29.
Erika spoke out about her husband’s assassination during a press conference on September 12, when she thanked law enforcement and President Donald Trump for his support and friendship with Kirk.
Erika promised to carry on her late husband’s mission and offered forgiveness to his accused assassin, Tyler Robinson
Image credits: Turning Point USA / YouTube
Image credits: SpencerHakimian
“Charlie always said that when he was gone, he wanted to be remembered for his courage and for his faith,” she shared.
“My husband laid down his life for me, for our nation, for our children. He told me, if he ever did run for office, that his top priority would be to revive the American family.”
Erika also shared how she told her 3-year-old daughter about her father’s passing. Following the crime, she said the young girl asked her, “Where’s Daddy?”
“I said, ‘Baby, daddy loves you so much. Don’t you worry. He’s on a work trip with Jesus, so he can afford your blueberry budget.’”
Image credits: The White House / flickr
Erika studied political science in college and has pursued a doctorate in Biblical studies.
The Arizona native hosts a devotional podcast, Midweek Rise Up, and runs a Christian clothing brand, Proclaim Streetwear. She also runs a nonprofit company, Everyday Heroes Like You.
The video sparked comparisons to WWE entrances and “dystopian” books and films
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