In the aftermath of her husband Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Erika Kirk found an unexpected source of comfort in a brief encounter with Second Lady Usha Vance .
Speaking at her late husband’s memorial on Sunday, Erika described how, on the tarmac of Air Force Two, she held Vance’s hand and admitted, “Honestly, I do not know how I am going to get through this.” Vance offered a simple but powerful analogy, comparing grief to the last chaotic 15 minutes of a flight with children: “You will get through these 15 minutes and the next 15 minutes after that.” Erika said, “Usha, I don’t think you realized it then, but those words were exactly what I needed to hear.” Over the ten days following Kirk’s death, she added, “God’s mercy and God’s love have been revealed to me… we didn’t see violence, we didn’t see rioting.”
The memorial at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, drew tens of thousands, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, other senior administration officials, and young conservatives influenced by Kirk’s work. Trump praised Kirk as a “great American hero” and a “martyr” for freedom, crediting him with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory. “He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”
Vice President JD Vance, a close personal and political friend of Kirk, delivered a tribute highlighting Kirk’s unwavering defence of family and traditional values, saying, “Charlie brought the truth that young people deserve to stake in the future, and that they deserve to have a voice.” Vance emphasised that Kirk’s legacy extended beyond words: “Charlie, he did so much more than tell the truth. He lived it… In this he showed all of us how to carry on after his death.”
Erika Kirk also addressed the crowd with a message of forgiveness, revealing she pardons the man accused of killing her husband. “My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said, choking back tears. “That man, that young man. I forgive him… because it was what Christ did. And it’s what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate.”
Kirk, 31, was shot on September 10 during a public debate at Utah Valley University. The suspected shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, faces seven charges, including aggravated murder, with prosecutors intending to seek the death penalty. Throughout his career, Kirk mobilised young conservatives across America, using social media, podcasts, and university events to champion nationalist and Christian-centric values. His death has sparked debate over political violence , free speech, and the responsibilities of public figures, even as his followers honoured him by continuing the movement he built.
Speaking at her late husband’s memorial on Sunday, Erika described how, on the tarmac of Air Force Two, she held Vance’s hand and admitted, “Honestly, I do not know how I am going to get through this.” Vance offered a simple but powerful analogy, comparing grief to the last chaotic 15 minutes of a flight with children: “You will get through these 15 minutes and the next 15 minutes after that.” Erika said, “Usha, I don’t think you realized it then, but those words were exactly what I needed to hear.” Over the ten days following Kirk’s death, she added, “God’s mercy and God’s love have been revealed to me… we didn’t see violence, we didn’t see rioting.”
🇺🇸ERIKA KIRK: I TOLD USHA VANCE I DIDN’T KNOW IF I COULD MAKE IT
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 21, 2025
"On the tarmac in Air Force Two, I confronted Usha Vance.
I held her hand and told her, honestly, I do not know how I'm going to get through this.
She said, 'You know when you're on an airplane with your kids,… https://t.co/4KrPvWL2MN pic.twitter.com/njVy2kxrQw
The memorial at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, drew tens of thousands, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, other senior administration officials, and young conservatives influenced by Kirk’s work. Trump praised Kirk as a “great American hero” and a “martyr” for freedom, crediting him with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory. “He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”
Vice President JD Vance, a close personal and political friend of Kirk, delivered a tribute highlighting Kirk’s unwavering defence of family and traditional values, saying, “Charlie brought the truth that young people deserve to stake in the future, and that they deserve to have a voice.” Vance emphasised that Kirk’s legacy extended beyond words: “Charlie, he did so much more than tell the truth. He lived it… In this he showed all of us how to carry on after his death.”
Erika Kirk also addressed the crowd with a message of forgiveness, revealing she pardons the man accused of killing her husband. “My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said, choking back tears. “That man, that young man. I forgive him… because it was what Christ did. And it’s what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate.”
Kirk, 31, was shot on September 10 during a public debate at Utah Valley University. The suspected shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, faces seven charges, including aggravated murder, with prosecutors intending to seek the death penalty. Throughout his career, Kirk mobilised young conservatives across America, using social media, podcasts, and university events to champion nationalist and Christian-centric values. His death has sparked debate over political violence , free speech, and the responsibilities of public figures, even as his followers honoured him by continuing the movement he built.
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