A grieving Erika Kirk held up a cross to supporters upon arriving in Arizona on Thursday, images show.
Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance accompanied Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk’s casket as it was transported to Phoenix, Arizona, aboard Air Force Two on Thursday alongside Kirk’s family. Images show the second lady holding hands with Kirk’s widow, Erika — both dressed in all black — as they descended the stairs of Air Force Two that day.
Other images circulating on social media show Erika holding up a cross to a crowd of mourning supporters. Many on social media have claimed she is holding up a rosary. However, her late husband was not a Catholic but evangelical Christian, and many commenters suggest that this is not a rosary but Charlie Kirk’s necklace.
The devastating images follow the arrival of Kirk’s body in Arizona, where the vice president led the escort of Kirk’s coffin on the tarmac.
Vance posted a lengthy tribute to his friend, who said Kirk was always there for him both privately and publicly. He wrote in part:
When I became the VP nominee–something Charlie advocated for both in public and private–Charlie was there for me. I was so glad to be part of the president’s team, but candidly surprised by the effect it had on our family. Our kids, especially our oldest, struggled with the attention and the constant presence of the protective detail. I felt this acute sense of guilt, that I had conscripted my kids into this life without getting their permission. And Charlie was constantly calling and texting, checking on our family and offering guidance and prayers. Some of our most successful events were organized not by the campaign, but by TPUSA. He wasn’t just a thinker, he was a doer, turning big ideas into bigger events with thousands of activists. And after every event, he would give me a big hug, tell me he was praying for me, and ask me what he could do. “You focus on Wisconsin,” he’d tell me. “Arizona is in the bag.” And it was.
Further, he said, “Charlie genuinely believed in and loved Jesus Christ. He had a profound faith. We used to argue about Catholicism and Protestantism and who was right about minor doctrinal questions. Because he loved God, he wanted to understand him.”
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot by an assassin while answering audience questions during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. He is survived by his wife and two young children.
According to reports, the suspect in Kirk’s murder has been apprehended and identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
