A statue of conservative podcaster and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was vandalized outside the organization’s headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday, a day after its unveiling. The artwork, which depicts Kirk wearing the T‑shirt he wore when he was shot and killed a year earlier, was smeared with red paint across the face, neck, torso and left hand, mirroring the spot where the gunman struck him, according to Fox News.
The vandalism also targeted a Christian tribute sign at the base of the statue. The sign read “Jesus defeated death so you can live”; the word “Jesus” was crossed out and replaced with “Satan.” The defacement was described by Turning Point USA as an act of “violent thugs,” and the organization has pledged to restore the statue and replace the signs.
Erika Kirk, who succeeded her husband as the head of Turning Point USA after his death, said in a statement that the organization would repair the statue and that the incident would not diminish her husband’s legacy. She added, “Charlie once said we should be building two statues for every statue that they tear down. God will not be mocked.”
Phoenix police are investigating the incident, and no arrests have been announced as of Sunday afternoon. Turning Point USA’s chief operating officer, Tyler Bowyer, said the memorial would be cleaned once the investigation is complete.
The statue was unveiled a day after the first anniversary of Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University. A judge recently ordered the man accused of killing Kirk to stand trial for aggravated murder, a conviction that could carry a death sentence. Kirk’s supporters had been leaving flowers at the headquarters to mark the anniversary, and a separate statue of Kirk was spotted in Utah earlier this week, raising questions about its final location.
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