Spoke to Charlie Kirk’s wife Erika, she is 'absolutely devastated’: Donald Trump
Donald Trump said, “I spoke to Erika his wife and we had a long talk and she is devastated."
US President Donald Trump revealed that Charlie Kirk’s wife, Erika, is “absolutely devastated” following the fatal shooting of the conservative activist.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said, “I spoke to Erika his wife and we had a long talk and she is devastated, she's absolutely devastated as you can imagine.”
Trump went on to describe Charlie Kirk as “an advocate of nonviolence” and urged that “that’s the way I’d like to see people respond” to his killing. He added that he believed progress was being made in the search for the shooter. “Hopefully we’ll have him and we will deal with him very appropriately,” Associated Press quoted the Republican President as saying.
The 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA was killed by a rooftop sniper during a debate event in Utah. His wife Erika is yet to publicly comment on her husband’s death.
Vice president accompanies Erika
Erika Kirk was seen stepping off Air Force Two in Phoenix on Thursday local time, accompanied by Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance.
Both women wore black and sunglasses, with the vice president following a few steps behind in a dark suit. Kirk’s casket was carried onto the plane with the help of Vance and uniformed service members.
Earlier, Vance shared on social media that his friendship with Kirk began several years ago after Kirk reached out following his appearance on Tucker Carlson’s show on Fox News.
Kirk had advocated for Vance as Trump’s choice for vice president last year and often checked in on his family. Vance described him as “a true friend.”
Who is Erika Kirk?
Erika Frantzve, a former Miss Arizona USA (2012) and collegiate basketball player, first met Charlie in 2019. They married in May 2021 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The couple shared two young children, a three-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son.
Erika holds a Political Science and International Relations degree from Arizona State University, a Juris Master’s from Liberty University (2017), and a Doctorate in Christian Leadership (2022). She is an established real estate agent, according to LinkedIn.
FBI continues manhunt for shooter
The gunman responsible for Kirk’s assassination remains at large. The FBI is actively investigating the targeted attack and seeking information from the public to identify and apprehend the shooter.
During a press conference, the FBI released additional images and videos of the suspect on the Utah Valley University campus. In the footage, the “person of interest” can be seen jumping off a roof wearing a black outfit, a baseball cap, and white Converse shoes, before running through the university’s parking lot toward a wooded area where the said murder weapon was later recovered.
