Watch as 'Charlie' chants erupt when Trump honors Erika Kirk at SOTU

During the State of the Union, the widow of Charlie Kirk, Erika, attended the address as a guest of President Donald Trump, with chants of "Charlie" breaking out as the president honored her late husband.

“So last year, Charlie was violently murdered by an assassin and martyred for his beliefs. His wonderful wife Erika is with us tonight,” Trump said. Kirk began to tear up and blot her face as Trump continued saying, “You’ve been through a lot.”

Trump went on to describe late conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a martyr while talking about a rise in religious participation among young people. The crowd erupted into chants of "Charlie."

"In Charlie's memory, we must all come together to reaffirm that we are one nation under God," Trump said. "And we must totally reject political violence of any kind."

Kirk, a conservative activist and the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, back in September 2025. Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, is currently facing a death penalty case in connection with the death.

See the moment here.

See the video here

USA TODAY’s Karissa Waddick contributed to this report.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.