Kirk op-ed reflects on husband's death aftermath

Erika Kirk, widow of Turning Point USA cofounder Charlie Kirk, has shared reflections on the devastating aftermath of her husband's assassination as the one-year anniversary of his death approaches. In an opinion piece published Monday, September 7, 2026, in The New York Times, Kirk detailed the immediate hours following the September 10, 2025, event at Utah Valley University, where her husband was fatally wounded. Kirk described her return home to Phoenix from Utah the day after the shooting as feeling like a "fever dream." Upon arriving, her children, unaware of the tragedy, ran to greet her. The reality of her loss began to set in as she sat on the couch where her husband had recently watched the Chicago Cubs with their children. She recalled telling Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance, that she did not know how she would cope. Vance offered a piece of advice that Kirk found instrumental: "Just get through the next 15 minutes." This advice became a guiding principle for Kirk as she navigated the months that followed, facing milestones such as birthdays, holidays, and their wedding anniversary without her husband.