Usha Vance's encouraging words to Erika Kirk revealed at Charlie Kirk's funeral service

Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, gave an emotional address at the Turning Point USA founder's funeral service on Sunday

Published on: Sep 22, 2025, 04:11:01 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, gave an emotional address at the Turning Point USA founder's funeral service on Sunday. During her speech, the 36-year-old credited VP JD Vance's wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, for comforting her after Charlie Kirk's death.

Vice President JD Vance, right, Second Lady Usha Vance, center, and Erika Kirk deplane Air Force Two, carrying the body of Charlie Kirk (AP)

Erika, who is now the CEO of TPUSA, vowed to the creation of new chapters.

“The world needs Turning Point USA,” Erika Kirk said. “It needs a group that will point young people away from the path of misery and sin. It needs something that will lead people away from hell in this world and in the next. It needs young people pointed in the direction of truth and beauty, and so I promise you today every part of our work will become greater.”

Charlie Kirk Funeral Live Updates

“Charlie and I were united in purpose. His passion was my passion, and now his mission is my mission,” she added. “Everything that Turning Point USA built through Charlie’s vision and hard work, we will make 10 times greater through the power of his memory.”

Erika then revealed how Usha Vance helped her after her husband's assassination.

“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,” Erika said.

“She said, 'You know when you're on an airplane with your kids, and it's the last 15 minutes of the flight, things are crazy, kids are not cooperating, toys are flying everywhere, and everyone's screaming? And you think to yourself, I cannot wait for this flight to land. And it's 15 minutes before you land.' You will get through these 15 minutes, and the next 15 minutes after that," she recalled Usha as saying.

"Usha, I don't think you realized it then, but those words were exactly what I needed to hear."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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