Erika Kirk accidentally used the word “grift” instead of “grit” while describing \u00a0the work of her late husband, Charlie Kirk<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
The flub took place while the widow \u2014 who has stepped into Charlie’s place as Turning Point CEO \u2014 was speaking at the organization’s AmericaFest in Phoenix on Dec. 20.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Charlie was shot and killed during his American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Erika Kirk<\/a> accidentally used the word \u201cgrift\u201d instead of \u201cgrit\u201d while describing the work of her late husband, Charlie Kirk<\/a>.<\/p>\n Erika, 37, made the flub while she was honoring a student named Caleb at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix on Saturday, Dec. 20, video<\/a> of the moment shared online shows.<\/p>\n “Despite the devastating loss of Charlie Kirk, my incredible husband … Caleb has persisted with the same grift,\u201d Erika said, before stating “gift,\u201d then finally, \u201cgrit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been a long day,\u201d she continued, then turning to the student and adding, “Trust me, you’re not a grifter, honey. It’s all good.”<\/p>\n A grifter is someone who obtains something through dishonest means, while grit is used to describe passion and perseverance in relation to a goal.<\/p>\n Olivier Touron \/ AFP via Getty<\/p>\n Erika Kirk at the Turning Point AmericaFest conference on Dec. 18.<\/p>\n Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest is a multi-day conference and festival. The 2025 event began on Thursday, Dec. 18, and it is set to conclude on Sunday, Dec. 21.<\/p>\n Erika \u2014 who stepped into her late husband’s place as Turning Point CEO<\/a> in September \u2014 made headlines during her opening remarks at the festival when she officially threw her support behind Vice President JD Vance<\/a> for the 2028 presidential election.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n “We are going to get my husband\u2019s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” she told thousands of attendees, as seen in video<\/a> of her speech shared online.<\/p>\n Vance, 41, has not announced any official plans to run for president after Donald Trump<\/a>‘s current term.<\/p>\n Erika has said that Vance and his wife, Usha Vance<\/a>, have been a source of support since Charlie’s death.<\/p>\n The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “He’s been a blessing<\/a>,” she told Fox News host Jesse Watters<\/a> in October. “Him and Usha, they are the most incredible people. Incredible. With such genuine love. I mean, just everything they did for us was so humanized. They just, they were there for us. They’ve been there for us.”<\/p>\n Charlie was manning his signature “Prove Me Wrong” table as part of his American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University when he was shot and killed on Sept. 10. He was 31.<\/p>\n Following a manhunt for the suspect,\u00a0Tyler Robinson<\/a>\u00a0was later taken into custody. Robinson, 22,\u00a0is facing multiple charges, including aggravated murder, in connection with Charlie’s death.<\/p>\n At the Turning Point event, one of the main attractions is a photo op inside a\u00a0recreation of the booth where Charlie was murdered<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Olivier](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8b51c60ac109b416894b4b4b7fd4cbdb.jpeg\"\/)
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