Charlie Kirk reportedly named his preferred successor at Turning Point USA just weeks before his assassination. The Daily Mail cited social media accounts and videos to report that the conservative activist was at a private donor retreat in Aspen, Colorado, in August 2025 when he answered a question about his plan, in case something happened to him. As expected, Kirk named his wife Erika as the one he trusts to carry his mission forward.
“What a great question,” Kirk reportedly responded before explaining his vision for TPUSA’s future leadership.“I appoint my wife to run Turning Point USA if something happens to me. Erika would do a great job,” he said during the gathering.
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Donor retreat comments resurface
The remarks gained renewed attention months after Kirk was shot and killed on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University. Eight days later, TPUSA’s board unanimously voted to appoint Erika Kirk as the organization’s new CEO.
The Aspen retreat footage has never been publicly released, though Daily Mail reported it reviewed the full recording and spoke with multiple donors who were allegedly present during the event. Several attendees reportedly told the outlet they clearly remembered Kirk naming Erika as his preferred successor.
One board member said: “The board already knew what the plan was because they talked about it with Charlie, everybody knew.”
Another donor claimed the succession discussion immediately stood out because of prior private conversations with Kirk regarding security concerns and threats against conservative figures.
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Candace Owens questions authenticity of recording
Despite those accounts, Owens has publicly questioned the legitimacy of the audio played during TPUSA’s AmericaFest convention introducing Erika as CEO.
“The more I listen to it, the more AI it sounds,” Owens said on her podcast. She has repeatedly demanded the public release of the full Aspen retreat video.
“Why won’t they release the video? Surely, if they captured the audio they have the video,” Owens wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
“The claim made is that at an Aspen retreat weeks before his death, Charlie answered a donor who asked ‘what would happen if you died’ to which he replied that he would want Erika to take over. I would like to see the video of that.”
Owens later added: “Precisely. It would certainly go a long way is dispelling the narrative that Erika wanted his position for herself. Seems like an easy PR win to release the footage.”
Read More: Candace Owens revives conflict with Erika Kirk over Charlie Kirk’s alleged audio before death: ‘Release the video’
TPUSA refuses to release Aspen footage
Turning Point officials have declined to publicly release the video, arguing donor privacy must be protected.
“We never release investor videos to protect the privacy of those present at those gatherings, and we are not changing that policy now,” a Turning Point representative told Daily Mail.
