Erika Kirk Urges Christian Revival As Tour Kicks Off In RivCo: ‘We Will Change This Country’

RIVERSIDE, CA — Erika Kirk urged attendees to deepen their Christian faith and spread the gospel Wednesday as she kicked off her “Make Heaven Crowded” tour at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside.

The tour marks Kirk's first major public religious outreach effort since the death of her husband, Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot four months ago while speaking at a rally in Utah. Following his death, Kirk was named CEO of Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit organization founded by her husband.

Charlie Kirk was also a nationally known podcaster, and an ally of President Donald Trump. He also led efforts ahead of the 2024 election to reshape the Republican Party’s voter turnout strategy, arguing that large numbers of infrequent Trump supporters could be mobilized to vote.

Since his death, his wife has vowed to continue what he started.

“When you trust in the Lord, you have no idea what you can bear until you’re tried,” she said.

Speaking to a packed sanctuary, Kirk thanked supporters for what she described as their continued prayers and encouragement, which she said helped her face what she called “immense spiritual warfare.”

“Our world is so broken. Our world is so evil. Our world is so dark,” Kirk told the crowd. She later added, “This world won’t break you … you are covered by the blood of Jesus.”

Kirk framed the tour as a call for religious revival, telling attendees that faith would be central to confronting what she described as moral and spiritual decline in the country.

“By God’s strength and by his grace and his goodness we will change this country, we will change this world,” she said.

The Riverside event was the first stop of the “Make Heaven Crowded” tour, which is scheduled to visit churches and venues across the country in the coming months.

“This tour is so special to me because I wanted to bring a slice of heaven from my husband and bring it to everyone around this county so that they could have that extension, and that beauty and that palpable feeling of the Holy Spirit,” she said.

She shared that the name of the tour was something that she and her husband used to say to each other.

Meanwhile, protesters gathered outside the church to criticize Turning Point USA and Kirk, as tensions have increased nationwide amid President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts.

The "Stop the Hate" protest in front of the church was led by civil rights attorney James "Jaime" Gutierrez, who says Kirk's alignment with the Trump administration and her other public positions make her, TPUSA and, by association, Harvest's ministers "false prophets" who are predisposed to hate rather than Christian love and unity.

On Wednesday, Kirk noted that she thought the recent protests against the Trump administration were "demonic."

Ahead of the event, dozens gathered outside of the church, chanting "No ICE, no Trump, no KKK," The Press-Telegram reported.

A protester dressed to resemble Kirk, wearing a sequined outfit and a blonde wig, carried a microphone and said, “I'm so sad. Give me your money, give me your money.”

The protester also mocked Kirk’s tour website, which listed the first stop as Los Angeles rather than Riverside.

“My family lives right around the corner,” Jose Martinez, a 38-year-old Riverside resident told The Press-Enterprise. “And (Kirk) thinks she can come here to Riverside … honestly, this is wrong. We’re here to speak out for our people, for our children, for our families … for our whole nation.”

City News Service contributed to this report.