Erika Kirk stood up at her husband Charlie Kirk’s memorial service. It happened on September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. Charlie, the conservative activist, was shot and killed on September 10 in Utah. In her speech, Erika forgave the man who did it. She said three simple words: “I forgive him.” You can watch her say it here in this clip from the event. That hit people hard. Some say it healed hearts and showed real strength. Others think it looked fake or like a show for attention. Online posts on Instagram, YouTube, X, are filled with Erika Kirk’s public speech on forgiving the killer of her husband. Many people are sharing their opinion, from tears and hope to anger and doubt. Based on what people shared right after, here are some top reactions. I’ll keep it real and pull from posts and reports.
These reactions mainly stem from clips of Erika Kirk’s remarks that were widely shared online. For example, one video shows her being criticized for “mourning the wrong way,” another captures her full memorial message, and a third highlights the moment she forgave the alleged shooter. It’s in the comment sections of these videos where people are posting their raw reactions, ranging from praise and empathy to skepticism and criticism. In the following section, we’ll look closely at some of the most-liked comments to understand the different perspectives.
Here’s What People are Saying on Social Media About Her Speech on Forgiving her Husband’s Killer
1. “In forgiving the killer, she gave life to herself and her children. And she will be abundantly blessed!”
The statement refers to Erika Kirk’s public act of forgiveness toward Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing her husband, Charlie Kirk, during a memorial in September 2025.
By forgiving him so soon, she suggested that she and their children could begin to heal, no longer bound by hate or bitterness. Media commentary framed her decision as a way to “move forward emotionally” rather than being stuck in ongoing pain.
The phrase “abundantly blessed,” or similar language, has been used in public discussions to signal a belief that this forgiveness might lead to future gains, such as greater inner peace, spiritual growth, or support from others.
2. “I’m a 98 year old man. Those words brought tears to my eyes for the first time in decades.”
A 98-year-old man said that it was the first time he had cried in many years. This shows how powerful her message was for him. At his age, he has likely lived through many hard times and losses, which may have made him less likely to cry. But her words of forgiveness touched him deeply.
Her choice to forgive may have reminded him of moments from his own life or of pain he had carried for years. Even without knowing the full reason, it is clear the video broke through walls he had built around his feelings. It shows that simple words of love or forgiveness can move people of any age.
3. “She might have just actually saved the country with 3 simple, beautiful words.”
Many people saw her words as very important. At a time when emotions were high and people were angry, her choice to forgive helped calm things down. Some believe her message stopped more anger and violence from spreading in an already divided country. To them, her act of forgiveness may have helped prevent even bigger unrest across the nation.
4. “If she hates him…evil wins twice.”
Some people say that if she had answered with hate, the killer’s act would have caused even more harm. It would not only have taken Charlie’s life but also spread anger and division among others.
By forgiving instead, Erika stopped that from happening. Her choice meant the act of violence ended with one loss, instead of creating more pain and hate. Many people see this as a way she limited the damage and kept the tragedy from growing into something worse.
5. “After she said ‘I forgive him…’ those tears were the weight being lifted off of her, and being laid at the foot of the cross. ❤”
Her tears during that moment showed more than sadness. They showed the release of heavy feelings she had carried, like grief and anger. For many people of Christian faith, this kind of release is explained as “leaving the pain at the foot of the cross.” In simple words, it means giving those heavy feelings to God instead of holding them inside.
By doing this, Erika showed how her faith helped her deal with the loss. It was not just about forgiving the killer but also about freeing herself from the weight of hate and hurt.
6. “What about the kids killed on the same day?? Why don’t the sorry news stations of today cover the Colorado kids being shot in school?”
This statement shows anger about how the news covered two shootings on September 10, 2025. The first was the killing of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, during a public event at Utah Valley University. The second happened at Evergreen High School in Colorado. A 16-year-old student shot two classmates, a 14-year-old boy and an 18-year-old, before turning the gun on himself. The two students were hurt but did not die.
People noticed that the Charlie Kirk story was on the news everywhere, while the school shooting got much less attention. Some believe this is because Charlie’s case had a strong political angle. Others say the smaller coverage made it seem like the pain of young victims mattered less. This difference has led to criticism of the media for not giving both tragedies equal focus.
7. “They’re all sycophants, including the wife. Willfully ignorant people who flew too close to the Orange sun. My sympathies for the victims of 9/11 and the victims of the Colorado shooting. Zero sympathy for those who dance on their little graves for power and fame.”
This statement talks about a group of people who, in the commentator’s view, followed former President Donald Trump too closely. Trump is called the “Orange sun” in the post, a name linked to the old Icarus story, where flying too close to the sun led to a fall. The idea is that their close ties to Trump brought harm or failure.
The commentator also mentions Erika Kirk, Charlie’s wife, and puts her in the same group. It gives sympathy to the victims of the 9/11 attacks, remembered each year around that time, and to the students hurt in the Colorado school shooting that happened the same day as Kirk’s death. But it says no sympathy should be given to people who use tragedies to gain power or attention. His harsh phrase “dance on their little graves” is used to describe this kind of behavior, showing anger at those seen as exploiting loss for personal gain.
8. “Oh, Erika wants to continue the fight and keep the college brainwashing! By the way, it was a white, educated, and Christian faith with a law enforcement background. Thoughts and prayers for the 2nd amendment; the cost will continue too. RIP CK.”
The person making the comment was mocking Erika Kirk, Charlie’s wife, for saying she would continue her husband’s work with Turning Point USA, a group that spreads conservative ideas to college students. The commenter called it “brainwashing.”
The shooter was Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old white man from Utah. He did well in high school, went to college for a short time, and later joined an electrical training program. He grew up in a strict Mormon family. A family friend who worked in law enforcement helped him turn himself in after the shooting.
The phrase “thoughts and prayers for the 2nd amendment; the cost will continue too” was written in a sarcastic way. It made fun of people who say “thoughts and prayers” after violent events, and it blamed gun rights under the Second Amendment for more deaths.
The message ended with “RIP CK,” meaning “rest in peace Charlie Kirk.” But in this case, it was not a kind message. It was written in a cold or mocking tone.
9. “Charlie promoted the cause of his demise. Charlie had time to change his cruel mind. He was a young man. One of his own kind took that from him. All Americans are saddened by this waste of life. But he was no hero.”
This reaction from a user on Erika’s funeral speech shares a reason for his death. He says Charlie often pushed causes that were political and conflicting, and they felt this added to the anger that led to his death.
Many other similar comments called Charlie’s way of thinking a “cruel mind,” meaning they saw his words and ideas as harsh and unkind. They also noted that he was only 31 years old, so he never had the chance to change.
The phrase “one of his own kind” pointed to the suspect, Tyler Robinson. He was a 22-year-old white man from Utah, raised in a conservative community. The commenter was saying that the attacker came from a background similar to many of Charlie’s supporters.
In the end, the message said that while it was sad to lose a young life, Charlie should not be seen as a hero.
10. “It shows how far we’ve fallen that this poor woman has to give her speech behind a bulletproof cage. 😢”
Erika’s speech was held indoors. Erika Kirk, and other speakers gave their remarks from behind bulletproof glass. Some people found this unusual, since it is not common at such events. The statement suggests that the use of heavy security shows how people now feel less safe. It points to a belief that even private gatherings need strong protection because of possible threats.
11. “I’m one of the young men Erika is talking about. I lost faith for 8 years after my father’s death when I was 13. My heart was filled with hate and anger. Fast forward to In 2023, I was 21 and had the love of my life; she tried to show me the way, but I wasn’t ready. We broke up due to distance. I bought a bible and began reading it. I know faith is back because I can actually feel the comfortable warmth in my heart. I’ve found God again and fully accepted that Jesus Christ is my lord and savior.”
The person writing the post said they were one of those “young men.” Their dad died when they were 13. After that, they lost faith. For eight years, they felt only hate and anger.
In 2023, when they were 21, they met someone they loved. That person encouraged them to go back to faith. The relationship ended because of distance, but it left an impact.
Later, the writer bought a Bible. When they read it, they said they felt a warm feeling in their heart. To them, this was a sign of faith returning. They ended by saying they had accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
12. “My wife and I went back to church yesterday. In large part because of the inspiration of Mr. and Mrs. Kirk. Thank you! May God bless you.”
This was a comment on an Instagram post where the commentator said that he went back to church with his wife just a day after Charlie got assassinated. He continues that this choice came mostly from the influence of Charlie Kirk and his wife, Erika Kirk.
13. “I wish that the families of the victims of school violence had this kind of platform too.”
We know that Charlie’s funeral service was big, held at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, and covered widely in the news. Many people came, and his wife, Erika Kirk, gave a speech.
The person who wrote the comment said they hope families of school shooting victims also get the same kind of attention. They gave the example of the shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado earlier that month, where two students were hurt and the shooter died.
The comment pointed out that the media and the public give more attention to some violent events than others.
14. “Your husband believed in no empathy, right? So yeah, no empathy.”
This comment talks about his memorial service and the way Erika is expecting empathy from people. The person who wrote it brought up Charlie Kirk’s past words, where he said empathy was a “made-up, new-age term” that did harm. They used that view as the reason for not showing empathy for his death or for his family’s pain.
15. “He isn’t with Jesus, babe.”
This comment suggests that Charlie is not in heaven or with Jesus. The words seem meant as mockery and as doubt about his Christian faith. Calling Erika “babe” adds a dismissive and condescending tone.
16. “Ask the Palestinians for advice on what to tell your 3-year-old daughter.”
This comment talks about how Erika said it was hard to tell their three-year-old daughter that her dad had died. The comment answered by saying that Palestinians, who often lose loved ones in places like Gaza, would know how to explain such things to young children. The comment is basically giving a sense of reality check, criticism, and sarcasm.
17. That was the fakest crying I’ve ever seen and heard. This was actually terrifying to watch?? Wtf???
This comment says that her crying and show of emotion looked fake or staged. The person also described watching her speech as disturbing or hard to sit through.
18. “Your husband’s death won’t move mountains with the public like George Floyd’s death did. RIP George Floyd.”
This comment compared the reaction to his death with the death of George Floyd in 2020. George Floyd’s killing led to big protests, policy changes, and talks about racism and police violence around the world. The comment said Charlie Kirk’s death would not have the same impact. The phrase “move mountains” was used to show the difference in influence. It ended with “RIP George Floyd” as a way of showing respect for him.