Erika Kirk urges conservative students not to back down in first school year since Charlie's assassination

Erika Kirk is urging conservative students not to back down as they return to college campuses for the first school year since her husband Charlie Kirk was assassinated, challenging them to carry forward the movement he founded in 2012.

Kirk, who took over leadership of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) following the fatal shooting of her 31-year-old husband at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, posted a lengthy message on Instagram Wednesday evening directed primarily at students beginning the new academic year.