Newly unveiled Charlie Kirk statue vandalized at Turning Point USA headquarters

PHOENIX (AZ Family/Gray News) - A brand-new statue of Charlie Kirk unveiled earlier this week was vandalized overnight Sunday.

The eight-foot statue, located at Turning Point USA’s headquarters near 48th Street and Baseline Road in Phoenix, was installed Thursday to mark the one-year anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s killing.

It was found defaced Sunday morning, spray-painted in red. A nearby poster memorial in front of the statue was vandalized with red paint as well.

“Charlie once said we should be building two statues for every statue that they tear down,” said Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, in response. “His instinct was always to build, not to destroy.”

Erika Kirk pushed back on efforts to deface her husband’s memory, insisting it will only backfire.

“They thought a bullet would silence my husband’s voice but it only made it louder. They think spray paint can obscure his legacy, but it will only spread it further. Every attempt to tear down what Charlie built makes us root deeper and work even harder,” she said.

Turning Point USA said it plans to repair the damage and is cooperating with law enforcement.

“We will restore the statue and replace the signs, but we are also reviewing the footage of the incident and are working with law enforcement to identify who did this and hold them accountable,” the organization wrote.

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell condemned the vandalism in a post on X, writing, “These acts of vandalism will not be tolerated.”

It’s unclear whether any suspects have been identified.