Erika Kirk vows to restore Charlie's statue after vandalism: ‘We'll keep building’

PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Erika Kirk has vowed to restore her late husband Charlie Kirk’s newly unveiled statue after it was defaced with red paint in Arizona.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, September 14, the mother of two said the vandalism would not stop supporters from carrying on Charlie’s work, stressing, “We will never give up and never surrender.”

The eight-foot statue was unveiled outside Turning Point USA’s headquarters in Arizona on September 10, marking one year since Charlie was fatally shot while speaking to students at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Just days later, on Sunday, the statue was smeared with red paint, with visible sections of the figure and its base covered. 

A nearby memorial poster was also damaged. Another poster featuring Charlie was defaced, with his face crossed out and the word “JESUS” visible on the altered image.

Erika Kirk says Charlie's legacy will only grow

Addressing the vandalism, Erika recalled Charlie’s own words about what should happen when statues are torn down.

“Charlie once said we should be building two statues for every statue that they tear down,” she wrote. “His instinct was always to build, not to destroy.” 

Erika said the attempt to damage Charlie’s legacy would have the opposite effect, arguing that the vandalism would push supporters to work even harder.

“They thought a bullet would silence my husband’s voice but it only made it louder,” she wrote. “They think spray paint can obscure his legacy, but it will only spread it further.”

Erika added that every attempt to tear down what Charlie built would make his supporters “root deeper and work even harder.”

Erika Kirk vows to put Jesus' 'name right back' and restore Charlie's statue

Erika also addressed the defaced poster carrying the name of Jesus Christ, saying the attempt to cross out the name would not silence Christians.

“And if you think crossing out the name of Jesus Christ will silence Christians, history has already proved you wrong,” she wrote. “We know what it costs to stand firm for Christ and we will stand anyway. God will not be mocked.”

Her post then turned directly to what would happen next, as she promised that the damaged statue would be restored.

“We’ll put His name right back where it belongs, clean up the mess, restore Charlie's statue, and keep building,” Erika wrote.

While it was reported that the vandalism was discovered on Sunday, it was not immediately clear when the damage occurred.