Erika Kirk’s Valentine’s Tribute To Charlie Kirk Quickly Turns Into Political Commentary

Erika Kirk is honoring love, loss, and legacy this Valentine’s Day. Five months after the tragic death of her husband, Charlie Kirk, Erika is navigating her first February 14 without him, and she’s doing so by sharing one of their most intimate traditions of handwritten love letters. In a deeply personal Instagram post, Erika Kirk reflected on grief, faith, and the covenant that defined their marriage.

On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, while speaking at an outdoor campus debate planned by Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization he co-founded and led. Charlie was a close ally of President Donald Trump and a highly influential figure in the MAGA movement.

Shortly after the debate event began, with around 3,000 people in attendance, Charlie was fatally shot in the neck with a single bullet by a gunman positioned on the roof of a building approximately 142 yards away. Charlie was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

For her first Valentine’s Day without him, Erika shared a photo of one of Charlie’s handwritten letters, along with an emotional caption reflecting on their marriage.

“What I would give for one more love letter," she began in the lengthy caption. "They had such a deep reverence about them. You’d intentionally set aside the noise of the world and hand me words that felt sacred, filled with a depth of love both of us could never quite articulate."

Erika went on to admit that she reads it "all even slower now" and as she read Charlie's words, "the weight on my heart reminds me of a reality that we were never promised gray hair and rocking chairs even though we assumed it was guaranteed, but my goodness, do I love telling the babies about the fullness of our covenant that left a mark on my soul. My favorite love story.”

In her post, Erika also encouraged others to cherish their spouses and reflect on the importance of intentional love.

“Honor the Sabbath this weekend with your loved ones. And if you’re married, take a minute to sit down and write to them a love letter. One that shows you see them, you love them, you honor them, and you want to continue to be better for them. A letter like this might seem trivial, but you just never know the course life will take, if the Lord calls you home, even in your absence, as they reflect on your words, your love is still serving them.”

She closed her tribute with a final message to her late husband, “I love you, Charlie baby, you will always be my Valentine.”

The emotional post prompted an outpouring of support from followers who continue to rally around Erika and her children. “Such a blessing to have these precious memories. His love for you is still alive just like Him. You have eternity to make new memories together still. Always praying for you, sister! Hang in there.”

“You, the kiddos, Charlie, his & your family are constantly in my thoughts and prayers," another said. "You are a force and he is SO proud of you. Thank you for sharing these anecdotes."

A third chimed in with, “How awesome to have saved that! Every wife needs to hear this from her husband!" as someone else wrote, “What precious love letters you have to look back on. You will see him again soon, sweet Erika.”

Amid Erika’s Valentine’s tribute, some commenters shifted the conversation to a separate controversy involving Turning Point USA. One user wrote, “Candace came out with the facts," as another added, “Every time Candace drops a video, Erika posts a love note or a picture with Charlie….like clockwork.”

The remarks appear to reference claims made one day earlier by Candace Owens, who alleged that Turning Point USA’s alternate Super Bowl halftime show was filmed over two days at a Georgia soundstage with a paid audience. Turning Point USA (TPUSA), the organization founded by Charlie Kirk, hosted the “All-American Halftime Show” on February 8 as counter-programming to the official Super Bowl halftime performance by Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny.

The TPUSA event featured Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett, while Bad Bunny’s official halftime show drew 128 million viewers.