On Tuesday (February 24), President Donald Trump delivered an extended State of the Union address to members of Congress and viewers across the US.
“It’s going to be a long speech, because we have so much to talk about,” Trump had previously said.
That prediction proved accurate, as the speech ran for one hour and 47 minutes, surpassing his earlier mark of one hour and 39 minutes.
Speaking from the House of Representatives chamber at the US Capitol, Trump used the annual address — typically held in January or February — to outline his priorities and point to what he described as key accomplishments from the previous year.
One of the night’s most emotional sequences involved Erika Kirk, the widow of late political activist Charlie Kirk, who appeared to mouth three words while Trump spoke.
The moment came as Trump paid tribute to the Turning Point USA founder, telling the room: “I’m very proud to say that during my time in office, both the first four years and in particular this last year, there has been a tremendous renewal in religion, faith, Christianity, and belief in God…And a big part of that had to do with my great friend Charlie Kirk.
“So last year, Charlie was violently murdered by an assassin and martyred for his beliefs. His wonderful wife Erika is with us tonight.”
As lawmakers and attendees stood and applauded, cameras captured Erika appearing to mouth what many viewers believed were the words ‘I miss you’.
President Trump honors the great Charlie Kirk and took a moment to recognize Erika Kirk,
"I miss you…" –@MrsErikaKirk
Oh Erika, God bless you and your family! pic.twitter.com/r3Pdud05fp
— EMBER 🇺🇸 (@upliftandlift) February 25, 2026
Reacting on X, one user wrote: “Seeing Erika Kirk mouth ‘I miss you’ is heartbreaking.”
Another posted: “I’m not a lip reader, but it appears that Erika says: ‘I miss you.’ after standing up. You can see her struggling to keep her composure when hearing Charlie’s name.”
Trump then added: “You’ve been through a lot.”
He later said that, in Kirk’s memory, ‘we must all come together to reaffirm that we are one nation under God…and we must totally reject political violence of any kind.’
Kirk was fatally shot during a public speaking appearance at a Utah Valley University event on September 10.
Authorities launched a large-scale search, and the FBI said an arrest had been made in under two days in connection with the case.
Tyler Robinson was taken into custody and has since faced multiple charges, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and two counts of obstruction of justice related to moving a firearm and disposing of clothing.