The widow of the deceased conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, delivered her inaugural public speech since his assassination on Friday night, pledging to uphold the political movement he initiated.

Erika Kirk stood next to the empty chair once used by Charlie in his studio while she addressed an online audience just after 8:25pm.

In a heartfelt speech where she frequently paused to regain her composure and dry her tears, she urged Kirk’s supporters to join a church and made a solemn promise to her late husband.

‘Charlie, I swear I will never let your legacy fade, darling,’ she declared. ‘I vow to transform Turning Point USA into the most prominent organization this country has ever witnessed.’

Her comments came just hours after the man alleged to have shot and killed her husband was identified and arrested. 

Wearing an emerald green shirt and white blazer, Erika Kirk thanked President Donald Trump and his family for their support following the shooting during her roughly 16-minute remarks.

‘Mr President, my husband loved you. And he knew that you loved him too. He did. Your friendship was amazing. You supported him so well, as did he for you,’ she said.

She also thanked Vice-President JD Vance and his wife Usha for ‘bringing him home’.

Erika began her 15 minute long address after making a silent prayer.

Overcome with emotion, she thanked employees of Turning Point USA – which her husband co-founded.

‘My heart is with everyone of my husband’s employees who lost a friend and a mentor,’ she says. ‘He loved what he did.’

She thanked law enforcement and the ‘first responders who struggled heroically to save Charles’ life, and the police who acted bravely to ensure there were no other victims on that terrible afternoon’.

Charlie Kirk’s death is being treated as a political assassination. 

A photo of Kirk could be seen displayed on her podium, with the caption: ‘May Charlie be received into the merciful arms of Jesus, our loving savior.’

‘Charlie said if he ever ran for office, his top priority would be to revive the American family. That was his priority,’ Erika Kirk said.

‘Charlie loved life. He loved his life. He loved America,’ she added before describing some of her husband’s hobbies, and his favorite sports teams.

‘Go ducks,’ she said with a smile, referring to the Oregon University sports team, adding that he would want her to say that because they play this weekend.

‘But most of all, Charlie loved his children. And he loved me. With all his heart. And he made sure I knew that everyday.’

She went on to call him a ‘perfect’ father, weeping throughout her comments.

In one particular heart-wrenching section of her speech, Erika said she doesn’t remember the last time she slept. She shared a story about the couple’s daughter, whom they referred to as GG, when she ran into her arms the night before.

”Where’s daddy?” GG asked.

‘What do you tell a three-year-old?’ she said. ”Baby, daddy loves you so much. Don’t you worry. He’s on a work trip with Jesus he can afford your blueberry budget,” Erika said. 

Wearing a cross necklace she focused on her Christian faith quoting a verse from the Bible.

‘Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.’ She praised God and said he is ‘incredibly good’.

‘My husband laid down his life for me, for our nation, for our children,’ Erika said ‘May Charlie be received into the merciful arms of Jesus, our loving Savior.

‘Now and for all eternity, he will stand at his savior’s side wearing the glorious crown of a martyr.’ 

She pledged Charlie Kirk’s message will continue and that the planned campus tour to US universities would  keep going – as will the podcast he hosted.

‘He never gave up. One of his mottos was never surrender. So I want to tell that we will never surrender,’ said Erika in a defiant tone.

‘The campus tour will continue. There will be even more tours in the years ahead to come,’ she went on.

His ideology will continue to spread – ‘in a world filled with chaos doubt and uncertainty, my husbands voice will remain,’ she added.

Erika then addressed the killer – or as she put it ‘the evildoers responsible’ directly.

‘You have no idea what they have done. They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith and of God’s merciful love,’ she said.

Kirk has this message for the ‘evildoers’,’ Erika said. ‘You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry. To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die. It won’t, I refuse to let that happen.

‘They should all know this: If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before you have no idea, you have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world, you have no idea.’

She pledged to her late husband that that she would never let his legacy die.

‘In a world filled with chaos, doubt and uncertainty, my husband’s voice will remain,’ she promised.

Before concluding she addressed Charlie directly, saying: ‘I can’t wait to see you again one day.’

Erika had last been seen on Thursday when her husband’s casket arrived in his home state of Arizona aboard Air Force Two as Vice President JD Vance honored the conservative activist with a final flight.

Vance’s wife, Usha, stepped off the plane alongside Erika. Both women wore black and sunglasses while the vice president was a few steps behind in a dark suit.

Vance helped carry Kirk’s casket with a group of uniformed service members as it was loaded onto the plane.

On Friday, President Trump said he plans to attend Kirk’s funeral, calling it an ‘obligation.’

Trump also said he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Tyler James Robinson, 22, of Washington, Utah, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm, and obstruction of justice, all felonies, according to a probable cause statement filed in court and released Friday. A judge ordered that he be held without bail.

Robinson is registered to vote but is not affiliated with a political party, according to Utah state records. 

The break in the case came after a family member of Robinson reached out to a family friend with information that Robinson had ‘confessed’ or implied involvement in the shooting, Utah Governor Spencer Cox told reporters on Friday, shortly after Robinson was taken into custody.

Cox said it is believed that Robinson acted alone.