In a poignant moment, Erika Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA, unveiled a previously undisclosed video of her late husband, Charlie Kirk. In this heartfelt footage, Charlie expressed his intention to have Erika succeed him as CEO should anything happen to him.
In the minute-long video clip, Charlie Kirk can be heard saying, “I appoint my wife to run Turning Point USA if something happens to me. Erika would do a great job.” This revelation was part of an introduction video as Erika took the stage at the Turning Point Women’s Leadership Summit.
The video not only underscored Erika’s new role but also paid tribute to her life with Charlie before his tragic assassination during an outdoor college speaking event on September 12, 2025.
The introduction concluded with a touching moment where their daughter welcomed Erika to the stage, adding a personal touch to the event.
A source from Turning Point shared their admiration for Erika’s decision to release the video, telling the Daily Mail, “It’s incredible. I love how she did this, she released this on her terms, not theirs. It was perfect.”
‘It’s incredible. I love how she did this, she released this on her terms not theirs. It was perfect,’ a Turning Point insider told the Daily Mail.
After Kirk’s death, the Turning Point USA board voted Erika to take his place as CEO, citing Charlie’s expressed wishes.
Kirk was filmed speaking about the topic at an August 2025 event for donors in Aspen, Colorado. When one donor asked Krik what would happen to his juggernaught conservative youth organizing movement should something happen to him, he replied that he would appoint Erika to replace him.
Three weeks after the Aspen event, a worst nightmare was realized: Kirk, 31, was shot and killed by an alleged assassin while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10.
Video footage of Charlie Kirk addressing his donors about his sucession plans for Turning Point USA has been released by the organization for the first time
The Turning Point USA video used to introduce Erika Kirk at their annual summit for women leaders
Erika has referred to the video in public interviews, but footage of of Kirk’s remarks has been kept private by the organization.
The decision raised suspicions from critics who believed that it didn’t exist, or that it was fake footage generated by artificial intelligence.
Former Turning Point communications director-turned-media personality Candace Owens has repeatedly alleged that the video may be fake as part of a scheme to seize control of Turning Point.
Owens has demanded the public release of the video. On the set of her popular podcast, she has a photo of Charlie Kirk Show producer Blake Neff with a numbered counter marking the days since she made her request.
Details of the video were a closely guarded secret until the Daily Mail published them for the first time in May.
‘Kind of a hard question to ask, but I think it’s probably important to everybody in this room and I’m wondering about Turning Point’s succession plan should, God forbid, something happen to you,’ the concerned benefactor asked.
‘What a great question,’ Kirk responded, deadpan, prompting tense laughter in the crowd.
Kirk was hosting a Q&A session at the triumphant gathering. They were, in part, celebrating Turning Point’s role in helping elect President Donald Trump and making plans to found new group chapters in American high schools.
Candace Owens has demanded that Turning Point USA release video evidence of Kirk’s plan to appoint Erika Kirk to run the organization he founded
Erika speaks with President Donald Trump during a Turning Point USA event
Several people in the room thought the question seemed like a distraction, but Kirk took time to answer it.
Some of America’s great ‘founder-led’ organizations, he observed, had collapsed after their original leader left. His goal at Turning Point USA, he explained, was to make it ‘vision-led.’
‘A lot of my job is not always in the day-to-day details. It’s very much vision casting, very much driving success,’ he said.
‘We have a great board and God forbid if something happens, they’ll figure it out. I appoint my wife to run Turning Point USA if something happens to me. Erika would do a great job,’ he said reassuringly before moving to the next question.
The Daily Mail reviewed the footage and interviewed multiple Turning Points donors, some of whom were in the room during the Aspen event.
It was not the first time Kirk had comprehended his mortality, longtime Turning Point USA board member Mike Miller told the Daily Mail.
As Kirk’s fame and success grew, so did his fears of what would happen to the mission in his absence, Miller said.
When Kirk reportedly started receiving death threats, Miller was emphatic that Turning Point hire personal security, as well as put a succession plan in place.
‘I said, Charlie, “God forbid something happens, what do you recommend that we do?” He said, “Erika is very bright, she can handle it, we have discussed this. I would be totally comfortable with Erika running things,”‘ Miller recalled.
‘This is not a new question that he had from people,’ another Turning Point board member told the Daily Mail. ‘I remember this topic coming up repeatedly over the years.’
Donald Trump Jr, a close friend of the couple, told the Daily Mail he recalled speaking with Kirk about the future of Turning Point USA, especially as threats to conservative figures escalated during the 2024 election.
‘After the attempt on my father’s life in Butler, Charlie and I spoke multiple times about the death threats we both constantly faced, and in those conversations he made it abundantly clear to me that if anything ever happened to him, he wanted Erika to be left in charge of Turning Point,’ he said. ‘He wasn’t shy about saying it and didn’t keep it a secret from those of us who were close to him.’
