Kirk was shot dead while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on September 10, sending shockwaves rippling across the political landscape. A prominent right-wing influencer, the 31-year-old’s death has been mourned by millions, including the likes of President Donald Trump.

Yet at the very center of the grief are Kirk’s widow and two children. It is they, after all, who were robbed of a husband and father when the political activist was shot in cold blood as he sat and answered questions on mass shootings in the US.

A no-expense-spared, flamboyant memorial service was held at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona at the weekend. Attendance at the funeral was estimated to have been in excess of 100,000, with the likes of Donald Trump, JD Vance, and Elon Musk all there to pay their respects.

Yet it was without doubt Erika Kirk’s speech that was the most heartfelt element of the sorrowful occasion. The 36-year-old widow was reduced to tears as she addressed the swelling crowds for half an hour.