A newly installed Charlie Kirk Statue outside Turning Point USA’s Phoenix headquarters has been restored after vandals covered parts of the bronze memorial in red paint and defaced a nearby Christian tribute.
The damage surfaced Sunday, Sept. 13, just three days after the organization unveiled the eight-foot sculpture on the first anniversary of Kirk’s assassination. By Sunday afternoon, police were investigating, and no arrests or suspect descriptions had been announced.
Meanwhile, Kirk’s widow, Erika, pledged to repair the memorial and carry forward her husband’s work.
Red Paint Covers Memorial as Police Investigate
Images from the headquarters showed bright red paint across the statue’s face and neck. Someone also drew a crude frowning face on its chest.
A display at the statue’s base, featuring Kirk’s photograph and the message “Jesus defeated death so you can live”, sustained damage as well. The word “Jesus” and a cross appeared to have been crossed out, while someone apparently scrawled “Satan” across the sign.
Phoenix police said calls reporting vandalism near 4900 East Beverly Road began coming in around 8:09 a.m.
“Officers have responded to the location, and the incident is under investigation,” police said.
Although several prominent conservatives blamed the political left, authorities had not publicly identified anyone responsible as of Sunday afternoon.
Erika Kirk Promises to Preserve Her Husband’s Legacy
Erika Kirk, who became Turning Point USA’s CEO after her husband’s death, responded by invoking his belief in building lasting tributes.
“Charlie once said we should be building two statues for every statue that they tear down,” Erika Kirk wrote.
She described her husband as someone whose instinct was to create rather than destroy. His killing, she said, had amplified his voice, and the vandalism would only bring further attention to his legacy.
She also promised to restore the sculpture, return Jesus Christ’s name to the damaged display and continue the movement Kirk helped establish.
“God will not be mocked,” Erika Kirk wrote.
Turning Point USA Repairs the Statue
Turning Point USA Chief Operating Officer Tyler Bowyer condemned the damage in a series of social media posts.
“This morning we woke up to radical criminals vandalizing our headquarters,” Bowyer wrote. “Crossing over Charlie’s face, scratching out Jesus and the Cross and spraying red paint on his neck.
“This isn’t the country we want to live in,” Bowyer added.
“Arizona is not Gotham.”
Bowyer visited the headquarters while officers investigated. He said the organization stood ready to clean the memorial once police released the scene.
“God bless the police as they investigate the violent thugs who did this,” Bowyer wrote.
Meanwhile, TPUSA shared video of the damage and urged supporters to participate in the approaching midterm elections.
“Hate cannot win,” the organization wrote. “The radical Left is showing up to vote. What are you doing to save the country from this?”
In a subsequent statement, the group promised to repair the statue and replace the signs. It also said it was reviewing footage and cooperating with law enforcement to identify those involved.
“Vandalism like this is not funny, it’s diabolical,” the organization wrote. “The incident happened in the middle of the night because evil never sleeps.”
TPUSA characterized the removal of Jesus’ name from the display as an “intentional decision”, emphasizing that the damage extended beyond paint on the sculpture.
The organization closed its response with John 15:18: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”
Later Sunday, spokesman Andrew Kolvet announced that the statue’s restoration was complete.
“The team rallied and got the statue back looking good as new,” Kolvet wrote. “Evil may never sleep, but neither do we.”
“We won’t stop. We will win. They will lose,” he added.
Bronze Tribute Marks One Year Since Kirk’s Killing
TPUSA unveiled the statue Thursday, Sept. 10, one year after Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University in 2025.
The sculpture depicts him wearing his familiar “Freedom” T-shirt and a cross necklace. People who knew Kirk said the artist captured personal details, including his wedding ring.
Utah sculptor Quintin McCann created the memorial after beginning a portrait of Kirk on the evening of the killing. Turning Point USA subsequently commissioned him to produce the tribute.
“Someone’s death, who I’ve never met, has never impacted me so much,” McCann said in an interview. “And I’m sure many people can agree. And I just stayed at work that evening and just started sculpting his portrait.”
The organization initially placed the sculpture outside its headquarters near 48th Street and Beverly Road. Plans called for moving it indoors for security reasons by the end of the week.
Lawmakers and Supporters Condemn the Damage
The vandalism drew angry responses from Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators, many of whom described it as an attack on Kirk’s family and supporters.
“Truly abhorrent,” Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., wrote on X. “The Charlie Kirk statue that was just unveiled at Turning Point’s HQ was vandalized overnight with red paint.
“The young people who work at Turning Point don’t deserve this, Charlie’s family doesn’t deserve this, his friends don’t deserve this,” Hamadeh added. “The left is intolerant and militant. Evil exists and must be confronted continuously.”
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., offered a shorter condemnation.
“This is absolute evil,” Biggs wrote.
Conservative commentator Benny Johnson, meanwhile, accused those responsible of seeking to intimidate Kirk’s supporters.
“These people are incapable of building anything, all they know is destruction,” Johnson wrote. “Keep these demons out of power.”
TPUSA contributor Alex Clark said the images brought her to tears. She then urged conservative voters to turn out for the midterms.
“The left wants to tap dance in your blood and throw confetti at your gravestone,” Clark wrote. “Vote red in midterms like your life depends on it because it actually does as a conservative.”
Chief of Staff Urges a Response Rooted in Faith
Turning Point USA Chief of Staff Mikey McCoy encouraged conservatives to respond through prayer.
He recalled Kirk’s willingness to speak on campuses where he faced hostility and cited the biblical examples of Stephen and Christ praying for their persecutors.
“Then I can surrender all the anger, and pure disgust that I feel at seeing this to a just and holy God,” McCoy wrote.
He said he would pray for those responsible to repent and find salvation.
“Lord, help our Country,” he added. “Open their eyes. Break their hearts. Save them.”
Separately, Bowyer criticized Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, accusing the Democrat of failing to embrace bipartisanship after Kirk’s death. He pointed to her veto of legislation that would have renamed Loop 202 in Kirk’s honor.
In her March veto letter, Hobbs condemned political violence but said highway naming should remain nonpartisan. She argued that the state board responsible for those decisions should handle such designations.
Kirk’s Organization Continues as Murder Case Proceeds
Kirk was 31 when a gunman killed him during the university event in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10, 2025.
Tyler Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and other charges in the killing. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Since then, Erika Kirk has led the conservative organization her husband co-founded in 2012. TPUSA has continued expanding its network of high school and college chapters following his death.
Anyone with information about the memorial vandalism is asked to contact Phoenix police or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.
