Bari Weiss, founder of The Free Press who is now also editor-in-chief of CBS News, is hosting a “town hall” forum with Erika Kirk, the widow of murdered conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“Three months after her husband was assassinated, Erika Kirk will open up about life, loss, the state of political discourse, and much more,” CBS News said in announcing the event.
The one-hour “A Town Hall With Erika Kirk” moderated by Weiss will be broadcast Saturday, Dec. 13, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and will stream later on Paramount+ and CBS News 24/7. The special with Kirk preempts the previously announced broadcast of the 28th annual Family Film and TV Awards, which will now air Saturday, Dec. 20 (8-9 p.m. ET/PT) on CBS and Paramount+.
The event, filmed before an invitation-only studio audience in New York, will feature Kirk “fielding questions from young evangelicals, prominent religious leaders, and figures across the political spectrum,” according to CBS News. The conversation will also “focus on our country’s political divide – and how we can find our way out.”
Weiss said in a statement, “Like so many people around the world, I will never forget the moment that Erika Kirk forgave her husband’s killer. I am eager to speak to her — and thrilled to be doing so in front of a group of Americans who I know will elevate the conversation.”
Erika Kirk is chairman and CEO of the organization Turning Point USA, which was founded by her late husband. Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking before a crowd on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
