A statue honoring Charlie Kirk was vandalized in Phoenix just days after the first anniversary of his death, sparking a defiant response from his widow, Erika Kirk.
Photos shared on social media show red paint sprayed across the statue, which is located outside the headquarters of Turning Point USA and was only unveiled on September 10. Turning Point USA confirmed they are reviewing security footage and working with local law enforcement to identify those responsible, calling the act “diabolical.”
Erika Kirk took to X to address the incident, sharing that her late husband once famously said, “we should be building two statues for every statue that they tear down,” noting that “his instinct was always to build, not to destroy.”
“They thought a bullet would silence my husband’s voice but it only made it louder. They think spray paint can obscure his legacy, but it will only spread it further,” Erika wrote. “Every attempt to tear down what Charlie built makes us root deeper and work even harder.”
She also addressed the specific targeting of religious imagery at the site, adding, “And if you think crossing out the name of Jesus Christ will silence Christians, history has already proved you wrong. We know what it costs to stand firm for Christ and we will stand anyway. God will not be mocked. We’ll put His name right back where it belongs, clean up the mess, restore Charlie’s statue, and keep building. We will never give up and never surrender.”
Charlie Kirk, 31, was tragically shot and killed on September 10, 2025, during a student Q&A event at Utah Valley University in Orem. Tyler Robinson has been accused of the shooting.