00:00Eight days after Charlie Kirk's assassination, his wife Erica is now leading Turning Point USA.
00:05Let's break down the journey that shaped her path to leadership.
00:08On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA,
00:13was fatally shot during a campus event in Utah, according to police reports.
00:18Two days after the fatal shooting, Erica Kirk, Charlie's wife, and the mother of their two
00:23young children addressed the nation and gave what NPR described as a tearful address to
00:28carry on her husband's mission. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle
00:34cry. Eight days after Charlie's passing, the board of Turning Point USA unanimously elected Erica as
00:40its new CEO and chair. The board reportedly explained that Charlie had personally requested
00:45the succession plan in the event of his passing. And during Charlie's memorial service, Erica
00:51addressed the crowd for the first time since a tragedy, turning her grief into a message of
00:55resolve and hope. My husband Charlie, he wanted to save young men just like the one who took his
01:09life. That man, that young man, I forgive him. Erica Lane Fransby, now Erica Kirk, was born November
01:2520, 1988, in Scottsdale, Arizona, and was raised by her mother after her parents' divorce, according
01:31to Profiles in Fortune and NPR. The 36-year-old reportedly played NCAA Division I basketball at
01:38Regis University before completing dual degrees in political science and international relations
01:44at Arizona State University. In 2012, Erica was crowned Miss Arizona USA, which at the time was
01:50reportedly co-owned by Donald Trump through the Miss Universe organization. During her interviews,
01:56Erica reportedly explained that pageantry allowed her to make a bigger impact in her community.
02:01And according to Erica's website, the mother of two earned a Juris Master's in American Legal Studies
02:06in 2017 and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Biblical Studies. Similar to Charlie, Erica founded her
02:13own non-profit, Everyday Heroes Like You, when she was 18 and reportedly launched the Bible
02:18and 365 Ministry program in 2016, along with Proclaim Streetwear in 2018, a faith-based clothing company
02:25that emphasizes American manufacturing. All of this led her down a path to meet who she recently called,
02:31quote, the perfect husband, without her even knowing it at the time.
02:35Every day he would ask me, how can I serve you better? How can I be a better husband? How can I be a better
02:41father? Every day.
02:42In a recently reposted Instagram video, Erica shared a moment between Charlie and their young daughter,
02:47explaining how the young couple met.
02:49Right near this very table was the first time Dada met Mama, and it started as a job interview.
02:58Reports today, Erica has also recalled their meeting, sharing how they spent hours in conversation about
03:03theology, philosophy, and politics, and that Charlie told her, quote, forget this job interview,
03:08I want to date you. The couple eventually married in 2021 and had two children,
03:13whose names and faces they keep private on social media. Following the loss of her husband,
03:18Erica Kirk is now tasked with caring for their young family while continuing Charlie's public work,
03:23which should keep her busy as Turning Point USA, a conservative student organization founded by
03:29Charlie Kirk, reports that interest in its program surged after Kirk's assassination,
03:33with more than 60,000 requests from students nationwide to start chapters or join existing ones.
03:39If you thought that my husband's mission was powerful before, you have no idea what you
03:47just have unleashed across this entire country. Erica now reportedly leads an organization with
03:53chapters on more than 3,500 campuses and hundreds of staff. Now observers say her challenge is to
03:59carry forward the mission her husband started while defining what Turning Point USA looks like in a
04:03post-Charlie Kirk era. Share your thoughts and follow us everywhere at What's Trending.
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