In her first major public appearance since the killing of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Erika Kirk reflects on grief, mental health, and the deeper causes of violence in America.

New York, NY — November 27, 2025 — In a deeply personal and politically resonant appearance, Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, took the stage as the final guest at the New York Times DealBook Summit, where she offered a measured but powerful response to growing conversations around gun violence following her husband’s assassination.

Addressing a packed audience alongside journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, Kirk rejected the idea that the root cause of her husband’s death was gun access. Instead, she pointed to what she described as a deeper, human crisis — one involving mental health, cultural decay, and a societal drift toward violence as a response to disagreement.

“That’s not a gun problem. That’s a human, deeply human problem. That is a soul problem,” Kirk said during the interview. “That is a very deeper issue.”

A Moment of Reflection in the National Spotlight

Charlie Kirk, the controversial yet widely influential founder of Turning Point USA, was slated to speak at this year’s DealBook Summit before he was assassinated earlier this year in a high-profile incident that rocked both conservative and mainstream political circles.

His widow’s appearance at the Summit served as both a tribute and a personal reckoning — one that transcended partisanship and focused on the questions of grief, meaning, and resilience in the face of violence.

“I wouldn’t wish upon anyone what I have been through,” she told Sorkin. “And I support the Second Amendment as well. I do. But there’s a bigger and much deeper conversation to all of that.”

Throughout the discussion, Kirk emphasized that while firearms may be the mechanism, they are not, in her view, the primary cause behind the violent events that claimed her husband’s life.

From Tragedy to Testimony: Mental Health and Cultural Crisis

In her remarks, Erika Kirk steered the conversation toward the mental and emotional health of the country, especially among young people. Drawing from her and Charlie’s experiences visiting college campuses, she pointed to anxiety, depression, and emotional disconnection as the leading challenges facing students today.

“What Charlie knew, and he was trying to explain to students on campus, was that you have to understand that brain health is so important — how you eat, how you take care of yourself, how you nourish yourself, how you rest.”

Rather than focusing solely on policy, Kirk spoke about culture — about a climate in which violence has become an accepted tool for expressing outrage or silencing dissent.

“What I’m afraid of is that we are living in a day and age where they think violence is the solution to them not wanting to hear a different point of view.”

The Digital Disconnect: Social Media After Tragedy

Kirk also opened up about her personal decision to step away from social media in the wake of her husband’s death. She described a deliberate choice to remove all apps from her phone and delegate online activity to trusted members of her team.

“I do not have the brain space for that, and it would not be healthy for me either,” she said. “I get called so many names, I genuinely don’t care. When you cast the bloody dead body of the person that you love, it pales in comparison to being called x, y, z.”

Her comments resonated with many attendees, particularly her reflections on the mental toll of digital life and the need to create sacred space away from constant connectivity.

“Social media, like many things, it can be used for such good. And it can be used for such evil.”

Remembering Charlie Kirk: Sabbath, Stillness, and Family

In one of the most emotionally charged moments of the event, Kirk recalled the couple’s shared ritual of unplugging every Friday evening, something her husband adopted later in life as a way to reclaim space for family, rest, and spiritual renewal.

“On Friday night, when he would get home from work, he would turn off his phone and shove it in the junk drawer, and he would say, ‘Shabbat Shalom,’” she said. “He was full Dad mode, fooling with the kids, sports mode on Saturdays for college football, and he could breathe.”

That image of the political firebrand—often seen in headlines, debates, and online clashes—quietly turning off his phone to play with his children and reset for the week, offered a more humanizing portrait than most Americans were familiar with.

“He had this sacred moment to just breathe and to rest and get away from the chatter, get away from the world,” Erika said.

Thanksgiving Reflections: Grief, Gratitude, and “What Remains Is Sacred”

Just days before her appearance at the DealBook Summit, Kirk shared a Thanksgiving message through her organization, reflecting on the pain of an empty chair at the dinner table—and the presence of memory, even in loss.

“What remains is sacred,” she wrote in the message. “Even in grief, we can be grateful. Even in silence, we can listen.”

Her words echoed throughout the Summit discussion, as she balanced honest acknowledgment of suffering with an insistence on hope and purpose.

A Broader Debate: Guns, Culture, and American Violence

Kirk’s comments come at a time when the national conversation around gun violence is both urgent and polarized. In the wake of multiple mass shootings, some lawmakers and advocacy groups have called for sweeping firearm reforms. Others, like Kirk, point to a more complicated ecosystem of causes—including mental health, cultural breakdown, and online radicalization.

By refusing to place blame solely on guns, Kirk has drawn both praise and criticism. Supporters see her approach as nuanced and brave. Critics argue that such framing shifts attention away from needed policy solutions.

But for Kirk, the message is about looking deeper—beyond the weapon, into the heart of the person holding it.

“You can have individuals that will always resort to violence,” she said. “And that’s not a gun problem. That’s a soul problem.”

What Comes Next?

As the widow of one of America’s most prominent conservative voices, Erika Kirk finds herself in a unique and difficult position. Her public platform comes with scrutiny, but also the opportunity to shape the narrative around violence, faith, family, and forgiveness.

While she has remained mostly private since her husband’s assassination, her appearance at DealBook suggests she may be stepping into a more visible role—not just as a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, but as a voice in America’s broader cultural conversation.

For now, she says, she is focused on healing, parenting, and protecting her peace.

But her message—clear, unflinching, and rooted in personal tragedy—resonates far beyond the walls of the conference room.

Final Thoughts: A Voice Rooted in Grief, Rising in Grace

In an era of soundbites and reactionary headlines, Erika Kirk’s reflections offered something rarer: honesty without bitterness, faith without dogma, and strength without anger.

She refused to be boxed in by talking points. She refused to turn her husband’s death into a political weapon. And in doing so, she modeled a way to confront violence without losing compassion.

“Life is so much bigger than the to-do list,” she said.

Her husband is gone. The questions remain.

But as Erika Kirk continues to speak—quietly, steadily, bravely—America is beginning to listen.