State of the Union
Trump Honors Charlie Kirk …
Erika Emotional in Audience
Published
February 24, 2026
7:41 PM PST
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CNN
During the State of the Union on Tuesday night, President Donald Trump paid tribute to the late right-wing political advocate Charlie Kirk, who was publicly killed last year … saying there should be no political violence of any kind as Charlie’s wife, Erika Kirk, is seen getting emotional in the audience.
While Trump was honoring those whose stories have impacted our country recently, he took a moment to honor Charlie as the broadcast panned to Erika in the audience — tears filling her eyes as our president describes the fatal last moments Charlie lived.
As we previously reported … the conservative commentator died after being shot in the neck on a college campus in September 2025. Donald Trump was the one who announced his death on social media, shortly after Charlie was rushed to a nearby hospital.
Kirk had died after sustaining injuries from a shooting at the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, UT during a Q&A with students where hundreds of people, including some protesters, had gathered.
