Trump appoints Erika Kirk to key military academy role to continue Charlie’s ‘legacy’
Erika Kirk has been appointed to the US Air Force Academy Board of Visitors. (Getty)
Donald Trump has appointed conservative activist Erika Kirk, the widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, to the US Air Force Academy’s Board of Visitors.
37-year-old political commentator Kirk, who has no military experience, was picked by the US president to replace her late husband on the advisory board after he was shot dead last year.
Charlie Kirk, an infamous far-right conservative pundit, was fatally shot in the neck in September 2025 while defending the Second Amendment at an open-air debate in Utah Valley University.
According to a report from The Independent, Erika Kirk was selected to fill the vacant seat left by her husband at some point over the weekend.
The US Air Force Academy Board of Visitors consists of 16 members, six of which are appointed by the US president. It primarily acts as an advisory board for any logistical matters that the Academy wishes to consider.
One of its main duties is to prepare a semiannual report for the Secretary of War on recommendations regarding moral, disciplinary, instructional, and logistical matters for the academy.
Other members include Clark Success Systems CEO Dan Clark – known for his public speaking during the US military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan – retired Air Force colonel Doug Nikolai, and former US National Security advisor Dina Powell.
Charlie Kirk a ‘hateful racist’, college professor says
A spokesperson for the White House said that Kirk, a former beauty pageant titleholder and CEO of clothing brand Proclaim Streetwear, was the “perfect choice” for the job.
“Charlie Kirk served proudly on the Board, inspiring not only the next generation of service members, but millions around the world with his bold Christian faith, defence of the truth, and deep love of the country,” spokesperson Olivia Wales said.
“Erika Kirk will continue his legacy, and be a fearless advocate for the most elite airpower force in the history of the world whose warriors keep our Nation safe, strong, and free.”
Prior to his death, Charlie Kirk’s conservative punditry included creating a ‘Professor Watchlist‘ of academics he believed were pushing so-called ‘leftist propaganda’ – a list which college professor Stacey Patton said was used as a harassment “hit list” by his supporters.
Patton, who dubbed Kirk a “hateful racist” following his death, said she endured a near-endless barrage of death threats, racism, and misogyny after she was added to the list in 2024.
“For weeks, my inbox and voicemail were deluged,” Patton said at the time. “Mostly white men spat venom through the phone… They threatened all manner of violence.”
Charlie Kirk’s transphobic views were so prolific, he continue to push anti-trans conspiracy theories in the seconds before he was shot in the neck, falsely claiming that “too many” mass shooters in the US were transgender.
His death only emboldened right-wing politicans to continue pushing this false conspiracy theory. Just days following Kirk’s assassination, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was “worth looking into” claims there had been a rise in violence caused by trans people.
In a December memo, US attorney general Pam Bondi called on the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to place bounties on those pushing so-called “radical gender ideology.”
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