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Erika Kirk joins Vice President JD Vance at Ole Miss on Wednesday at the Turning Point USA event on campus.
Kirk’s husband, Charlie, founded the organization in 2012 — he was murdered while debating at Utah Valley University last month.
Kirk has made two public appearances since her husband’s death, one at his memorial in Glendale, Arizona, and the other earlier this month when Kirk was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.
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Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk speaks during the memorial service honoring Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on September 21, 2025. (Rob Schumacher/The Republic/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
She will make her third in Oxford with Vance, who along with his wife, Usha, flew Kirk and her husband’s casket from Utah to Arizona after his death.
Riley Gaines spoke highly of Kirk in a recent appearance on “Fox & Friends.”
“I’ve known her for a while. I think most people know her…know her as Charlie’s wife. She’s a force, she’s beautiful, she’s strong, she’s confident, she’s compassionate, as we saw at Charlie’s memorial, and she’s faith-driven,” Gaines said. “I am so excited for her at this moment to continue to lead Turning Point and to see the impact she is having, especially among my generation.”
President Donald Trump greets Erika Kirk, widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, during a public memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on September 21, 2025. (Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images)
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The current Turning Point USA tour has become a memory for Kirk, but Gaines said the unfortunate circumstances lead to her being excited about the outcome of the event and the future of TPUSA.
“How tragic, of course, the situation and the circumstances that ultimately led us here, but I feel so hopeful, I feel so inspired,” she said.
“We’ve seen so many people, but I think especially young kids from Generation Z asking how to get involved. I’m excited to see the turnout tonight, I imagine it’s going to be spectacular.”
Erika Kirk attends a Medal of Freedom ceremony for her late husband Charlie Kirk in the Rose Garden at the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (Getty Images/Alex Wong)
Admission to the event is free, but attendees must register in advance before attending, with students receiving priority access. Managers will also review what organizers described as “TSA-style screening and magnetometer checks” when doors open at 15 CT. The event is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. CT.
