President Trump paid tribute to the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk during his address at the Republican National Committee’s Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas.
“So exactly one year ago tomorrow, a far-left extremist assassinated my great friend and conservative voice, Charlie Kirk, because Charlie Kirk spoke the truth,” he said Wednesday evening.
“What shocked millions of Americans was not only the fact that Charlie was murdered, as bad as it was, but also how many people made an excuse for it or cheered for it,” Trump said. “They were cheering, some people, sick people.”
“For a brief moment, the mask came off the radical left, and you saw what they were really all about,” he continued. “And now those same people are trying to get power over you in this election, and they are all voting Democrat, okay? They’re all voting, every one of them, and you can’t let it happen.”
President Trump declared, “We will not let them win. And in Charlie’s honor, I just want to say we love you, Charlie.” He then shifted to Kirk’s widow, Erika, saying, “Erika is here someplace. Erika? Where is Erika?”
Her recognition prompted the crowd to chant, “Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!”
“Thank you very much, and thank you, Erika,” Trump said. “And I think Erika is going to be here tomorrow, too.” He added, “She’s put up with something, boy, oh boy, what she’s had to go through, and the most beautiful family. It’s just terrible.”
Erika Kirk previously joined Trump for the State of the Union. Then-White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared the news on X, reposting a story from The Daily Wire. Quoting a line from the piece, Leavitt’s post read, “The president will call on Congress to ‘firmly reject political violence against our fellow citizens’ with Charlie Kirk’s widow in the chamber.”
