The Charlie Kirk Show - September 23, 2025


"He Blinked and Saw His Savior in Paradise." — Mrs. Erika Kirk

Hosted by
Andrew Kolvet
Mentioned
Charlie Turning Point USA Usha Vance Erica Kirk Isaiah Savior
The Revival He Always Wanted — Charlie Kirk's Memorial Charlie Kirk, Honored and Remembered by His Friends

Episode Stats


Length

29 minutes

Words per minute

79.45

Word count

2,361

Sentence count

201

Harmful content

Misogyny

4

sentences flagged

Hate speech

3

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Learn English with Erica Kirk, who lost her husband, Charlie Kirk, in the September 11th, 2011, terrorist attack. Erica shares how God's grace and mercy helped her through the pain of losing her beloved husband.

Transcript

Transcripts from "The Charlie Kirk Show" are sourced from the Knowledge Fight Interactive Search Tool. Explore them interactively here.
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
Hosts, guests, and mentioned names generated with spaCy (en_core_web_sm), reconciled against Wikidata.
00:00:34.000 Please give a warm welcome to Mrs. Erica Kirk.
00:00:37.000 Coming
00:02:38.000 here from all over to celebrate my Charlie.
00:02:58.000 Just a few miles from here, two years ago at America Fest 2023, Charlie delivered a speech on stage for our TPUSA faith event.
00:03:14.000 Charlie loves speaking off the cuff.
00:03:16.000 He was very good at that, without a script.
00:03:20.000 So I personally didn't know what he was going to say.
00:03:26.000 And what he chose to speak about that day was his submission to the will of God.
00:03:34.000 He quoted one of his favorite Bible verses, Isaiah chapter 6, verse 8: Here I am, Lord, send me.
00:03:48.000 After Charlie finished, I met him backstage and I spoke to him.
00:03:52.000 And I'll never forget this.
00:03:54.000 I said, Charlie, baby, please talk to me next time before you say that statement.
00:04:02.000 Because when you say something like that, there is so much power in that verse.
00:04:11.000 When you say, Here I am, Lord, use me, God will take you up on that.
00:04:21.000 And he did with Charlie.
00:04:37.000 Eleven days ago, God accepted that total surrender from my husband and then called him to his side.
00:04:48.000 More than anything, Charlie wanted to do not His will, but God's will.
00:04:54.000 And over these past 11 days, Through all the pain, never before have I found as much comfort as I now do in the words of our Lord's prayer, thy will be done.
00:05:24.000 God's love was revealed to me on the very day my husband was murdered.
00:05:32.000 On the afternoon of September 10th, I arrived at a Utah hospital to do the unthinkable, to look directly at my husband's murdered body.
00:05:46.000 I saw the wound that ended his life.
00:05:51.000 I felt everything you would expect to feel.
00:05:56.000 I felt shock.
00:05:58.000 I felt horror and a level of heartache that I didn't even know existed.
00:06:11.000 But there was something else too.
00:06:15.000 Even in death, I could see the man that I love.
00:06:23.000 I saw the one single gray hair on the side of his head, which I never told him about.
00:06:32.000 Now he knows.
00:06:34.000 Sorry, baby, telling you now, but never told him.
00:06:37.000 Didn't want to.
00:06:41.000 I also saw this.
00:06:45.000 I also saw on his lips the faintest smile.
00:06:52.000 And that told me something important.
00:06:57.000 It revealed to me a great mercy from God in this tragedy.
00:07:03.000 When I saw that, it told me that Charlie didn't suffer.
00:07:10.000 Even the doctor told me it was something so instant that even if Charlie had been shot in the operating room itself, nothing could have been done.
00:07:24.000 There was no pain.
00:07:26.000 There was no fear.
00:07:28.000 No agony.
00:07:29.000 One moment Charlie was doing what he loved, arguing and debating on campus, fighting for the gospel and truth in front of a big crowd.
00:07:46.000 And then he blinked.
00:07:51.000 And saw his Savior in paradise.
00:08:06.000 And all the heavenly mysteries were revealed to him.
00:08:13.000 God's love continued to be revealed to me in the days that followed.
00:08:21.000 The next day on the tarmac in Air Force II, I confronted Usha Vance, precious woman.
00:08:35.000 I held her hand and I told her, honestly, I do not know how I am going to get through this.
00:08:44.000 She told me something.
00:08:48.000 She said, you know when you're on an airplane with your kids and it's the last 15 minutes of the flight and things are crazy.
00:08:59.000 Kids are not cooperating.
00:09:00.000 Toys are flying everywhere and everyone's screaming.
00:09:04.000 And you think to yourself, I cannot wait for this flight to land.
00:09:09.000 And it's 15 minutes before you land.
00:09:14.000 And she told me, you will get through these 15 minutes and the next 15 minutes after that.
00:09:24.000 Usha, I don't think you realized it then, but those words were exactly what I needed to hear.
00:09:33.000 But most of all, God's mercy and God's love have been revealed to me these past 10 days.
00:09:40.000 After Charlie's assassination, we didn't see violence.
00:09:46.000 We didn't see rioting.
00:10:01.000 We didn't see revolution.
00:10:05.000 Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country.
00:10:10.000 we saw revival.
00:10:11.000 This past week, we saw people open a Bible for the first time in a decade.
00:10:31.000 We saw people pray for the first time since they were children.
00:10:36.000 We saw people go to a church service for the first time in their entire lives.
00:10:51.000 Charlie liked to journal.
00:10:54.000 And I say this because he did it to remember important moments and sayings that affected him.
00:11:02.000 And one of the things he wrote in his journal was this, every time you make a decision, it puts a mark on your soul.
00:11:18.000 To those of you out there who just made that decision and took the first step toward a spiritual life, I say thank you and welcome.
00:11:41.000 One day I hope you look back and realize it was the most important decision of your life, because it is.
00:11:51.000 All of you, all of you who are already believers, it is your job to shepherd these people.
00:12:01.000 Do not take that lightly.
00:12:04.000 Water the seed of their faith.
00:12:08.000 Protect it and help it grow.
00:12:13.000 Every day as Charlie rode into the office, he would go through his contact list.
00:12:21.000 And I know there's many of you who were impacted by this.
00:12:24.000 He would go through his contact list and send Bible verses for the day.
00:12:30.000 He knew that faith was a habit.
00:12:33.000 The more you live it, the more it grows.
00:12:38.000 But know this too.
00:12:41.000 The seed has only just been planted.
00:12:46.000 The enemy will tempt you the most in a time like this one.
00:12:52.000 God will always be there for you, but you must choose to mark your soul again and again in the direction of Christ.
00:13:11.000 Pray again Read the Bible again.
00:13:16.000 Go to church next Sunday and the Sunday after that and break free from the temptations and shackles of this world.
00:13:34.000 Being a follower of Christ is not easy.
00:13:38.000 It's not supposed to be.
00:13:41.000 Jesus said, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.
00:13:50.000 He said he would be persecuted.
00:13:52.000 He said we would be persecuted.
00:13:54.000 And Charlie knew that and happily carried his cross all the way to the end.
00:14:02.000 And I want all of you to know, while Charlie died far too early, he was also ready to die.
00:14:13.000 There was nothing, nothing he was putting off.
00:14:18.000 There was nothing that was too hard or too painful or nothing that he just felt like he didn't want to do it.
00:14:26.000 He left this world without regrets.
00:14:31.000 He did 100% of what he could every day.
00:14:35.000 But I want you to know something.
00:14:39.000 Charlie died with incomplete work, but not with unfinished business.
00:14:57.000 But I will miss him.
00:15:03.000 I will miss him so much because our marriage and our family were beautiful.
00:15:09.000 The greatest cause in Charlie's life was trying to revive the American family.
00:15:24.000 When he spoke to young people, he was always eager to tell them about God's vision for marriage and how, if they could just dare to live it out, it would enrich every part of their life in the same way that it enriched ours.
00:15:43.000 And someone once asked me how Charlie and I kept our marriage so strong when he was busy traveling.
00:15:56.000 And our little secret, it was love notes.
00:16:04.000 Every Saturday, Charlie wrote one for me and he never missed a Saturday.
00:16:12.000 And in every single one of them, he'd tell me what his highlight was for the week, how grateful he was for me and our babies.
00:16:23.000 And always at the end, he would always end it with asking the most beautiful question.
00:16:33.000 He'd always end it by asking, please let me know how I can better serve you as a husband.
00:16:41.000 Charlie perfectly understood God's role for a Christian husband. 0.72
00:16:48.000 A man who leads so that they can serve to all the men watching around the world, accept Charlie's challenge and embrace true manhood.
00:17:19.000 Be strong and courageous for your families.
00:17:25.000 Love your wives and lead them.
00:17:30.000 Love your children and protect them.
00:17:35.000 Be the spiritual head of your home.
00:17:41.000 But please be a leader worth following.
00:17:46.000 Your wife, your wife is not your servant. 1.00
00:18:00.000 Your wife is not your employee. 1.00
00:18:04.000 Your wife is not your slave. 1.00
00:18:08.000 She is your helper.
00:18:11.000 You are not rivals.
00:18:13.000 You are one flesh working together for the glory of God.
00:18:30.000 I was Charlie's confidant.
00:18:34.000 I was his vault.
00:18:37.000 His closest and most trusted advisor, his best friend.
00:18:43.000 I poured into him and loved him so deeply, empowered him, because his love for me drove me to be a better wife.
00:18:54.000 Every day he honored me, and I prayed that I could be the wife that God needed me to be for my husband.
00:19:02.000 Women, I have a challenge for you too. 0.99
00:19:07.000 Be virtuous.
00:19:10.000 Our strength is found in God's design for our role.
00:19:15.000 We are the guardians.
00:19:18.000 We are the encouragers.
00:19:21.000 We are the preservers.
00:19:24.000 Guard your heart.
00:19:27.000 Everything you do flows from it.
00:19:31.000 And if you're a mother, please recognize that is the single most important ministry you have.
00:19:50.000 In our home, because Charlie traveled a lot, we tried to travel with him where we could.
00:19:58.000 But I made sure that when Charlie returned from work, it was his sacred landing place, away from the worries of the world.
00:20:13.000 I didn't make him feel guilty for being away too long or too much or getting home too late.
00:20:22.000 I always told him, home is here for you and it'll be ready for you.
00:20:28.000 And I made it into this place where he wanted to be as soon as possible when he was on the road.
00:20:38.000 There was no keeping score between us.
00:20:42.000 We were a team working together for the same mission.
00:20:50.000 I never wanted to be the one standing between Charlie and the task that God prepared for him, had set for him.
00:21:01.000 And I knew Charlie would always do his best to help me with the same.
00:21:08.000 My marriage with Charlie was the best thing that ever happened to me.
00:21:12.000 And I know it was the best thing that ever happened to him as well.
00:21:16.000 He wanted everyone to experience that joy.
00:21:20.000 And that's what's so beautiful about God's design for marriage is that everyone can.
00:21:29.000 I could talk endlessly about it in years to come, I will.
00:21:34.000 But Charlie's mission above all was aimed directly at those who aren't married.
00:21:43.000 He named his organization well.
00:21:46.000 He knew things were not right with America and especially with young people and they needed a new direction.
00:21:55.000 Charlie passionately wanted to reach and save the lost boys of the West.
00:22:03.000 The young men who feel like they have no direction, no purpose, no faith, and no reason to live.
00:22:11.000 The men wasting their lives on distractions and the men consumed with resentment, anger, and hate.
00:22:20.000 Charlie wanted to help them.
00:22:24.000 He wanted them to have a home with Turning Point USA.
00:22:28.000 And when he went onto campus, he was looking to show them a better path and a better life that was right there for the taking.
00:22:39.000 He wanted to show them that.
00:22:46.000 My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life.
00:23:16.000 That young man.
00:23:20.000 That young man on the cross, our Savior said, Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.
00:23:37.000 That man, that young man.
00:23:45.000 I forgive him.
00:24:32.000 I forgive him because it was what Christ did and is what Charlie would do.
00:24:42.000 The answer to hate is not hate.
00:24:46.000 The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love.
00:24:51.000 Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.
00:25:00.000 The world needs Turning Point USA.
00:25:04.000 It needs a group that will point young people away from the path of misery and sin.
00:25:11.000 It needs something that will lead people away from hell in this world and in the next.
00:25:17.000 It needs young people pointed in the direction of truth and beauty.
00:25:24.000 And so I promise you today, every part of our work will become greater.
00:25:30.000 I am tremendously honored to be the new CEO of Turning Point USA.
00:25:54.000 I do not take that lightly.
00:25:57.000 Charlie and I were united in purpose.
00:26:00.000 His passion was my passion, and now his mission is my mission.
00:26:06.000 Everything that Turning Point USA built through Charlie's vision and hard work, we will make ten times greater through the power of his memory.
00:26:16.000 Chapters will grow.
00:26:19.000 Thousands of new ones will be created.
00:26:22.000 TPUSA Faith will add thousands of new pastors and congregations.
00:26:36.000 And yes, campus events will continue.
00:26:40.000 And we will continue to hold debates and dialogue.
00:26:51.000 The First Amendment of our Constitution is the most human amendment.
00:26:58.000 We are naturally talking beings, naturally believing beings.
00:27:06.000 And the First Amendment protects our right to do both.
00:27:11.000 No assassin will ever stop us from standing up to defend those rights, ever.
00:27:24.000 Because when you stop the conversation, when you stop the dialogue, this is what happens.
00:27:37.000 When we lose the ability and the willingness to communicate, we get violence.
00:27:48.000 And as I stand here now, and I look at this beautiful photo of my husband in front of me hanging in the stadium, I think of my husband 13 years ago.
00:28:04.000 I hadn't met him yet.
00:28:07.000 He was 18 years old.
00:28:10.000 A man barely out of high school, running around the halls of the RNC without a dollar in his pocket and a single contact in his phone.
00:28:23.000 People who saw him said that he didn't know what he was doing, but he did.
00:28:29.000 He did know what he was doing.
00:28:33.000 He knew exactly what he was doing.
00:28:38.000 He was going to change the world, and he did.
00:28:44.000 Charlie's life was a turning point for this country.
00:28:47.000 It was a miracle.
00:28:50.000 Let that miracle that was Charlie's life be your turning point as well.
00:28:58.000 Choose prayer, choose courage, choose beauty, choose adventure, choose family, choose a life of faith.
00:29:17.000 Most importantly, choose Christ.
00:29:36.000 I love you, Charlie, baby, and I will make you proud.