Riley Gaines emotionally reacted to late Charlie Kirk's wife Erika's first address after his assassination at the Utah University campus. Gaines has been significantly affected by Kirk's passing since they worked together to support the same cause as conservative activists. The swimmer-turned-advocate, Riley Gaines, continues to work at the forefront to protest against transgender participation in women's sports. She also supported Donald Trump's candidacy in the 2025 Presidential run and remains vocal about her loyalty to Trump's work. Recently, Charlie Kirk, her fellow right-wing activist, was shot to death when he spoke onstage during an outdoor campus event at Utah University. His tragic passing shook the nation and even impacted Gaines significantly. She extended her support to his wife, Erika, who addressed her husband's assassination for the first time. The former swimmer empathized with Erika, who emotionally talked about her daughter in her address. Gaines was also relieved to see that the latter would take forward Kirk's legacy. "Behind every strong man is a strong woman. I listened to that speech. I listened to it as Charlie's friend, and I listened to it as Erika's friend. I listened to that speech as a wife. You have to remember, this is 48 hours after losing her husband. The love of her life, the man that she has watched grow and develop personally, and how that one man has impacted not just this nation, but the world. Listening to her talk about her 3-year-old daughter, Gigi, who is the most beautiful little girl, having to answer the question of, 'Where's daddy now? Where's dad?' As she comes home, to which I think she responded beautifully, and she says, Look, he's on a work trip with Jesus. That broke me." (via OutKick podcast)She added:"So let me speak to Erica really quick, because maybe she's been behind the scenes to a lot of people, which I have a feeling that is soon to change. She is strong, she is beautiful, she is fierce, she is so compassionate. And of course, as we all saw, she is so faithful to her Lord and Savior, and I think Charlie would be so proud of her. And I was thrilled, of course, to hear her say the words, the movement will not die."Gaines also expressed that several people reached out, and many even started visiting the churches. Riley Gaines once joined Charlie Kirk on his 'The America Comeback Tour' Riley Gaines at the 10X Ladies Conference Miami Hosted By Elena Cardone - (Source: Getty)Riley Gaines and Charlie Kirk shared the stage at San Francisco State University in May this year. They covered several topics like politics, gender, human rights, and others at the Mashouf Wellness Center. Among the 500 attendees, some people sat back and listened, while others actively participated in the debate. The event also drew several protestors, who flocked outside the field's fence to protest against Trump supporters. It was the first time for Kirk on that University campus.