Charlie Kirk Memorial Service

Charlie Kirk Memorial Service

US President Donald Trump hailed the conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a "great American hero" and "martyr" during a speech to tens of thousands of mourners at a memorial service in Arizona.

Trump was the headline speaker at the packed event on Sunday, which saw top officials from his administration, including Vice-President JD Vance, praise Kirk's political legacy after he was shot dead on 10 September."He was assassinated because he lived bravely, he lived boldly and he argued brilliantly," Trump told the crowd at the State Farm Stadium near Phoenix.

Kirk's wife, Erika, also delivered a tearful speech in which she said she had forgiven her husband's alleged killer.

"My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life," she said, adding: "I forgive him because it is what Christ did. The answer to hate is not hate."Tens of thousands of people queued for hours outside the stadium before the event, with some even camping out the night before to secure their spot. Many wore Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats, other Trump-branded items and red, white and blue outfits.Inside the stadium, the mood and atmosphere resembled a raucous political rally or megachurch service with music beforehand from Christian bands who prompted singalongs and prayer from the crowd of almost 100,000.

The list of speakers included members of Kirk's organisation, Turning Point USA, which focuses on conservative activism on college campuses, well-known figures in the conservative movement, Trump administration officials and those who said they had been shaped by Kirk's work and right-wing Christian worldview.They stressed the need to continue the 31-year-old's activism and emphasised his deep faith throughout the five-hour service. Kirk, who was debating students at a university in Utah when he was shot dead, was repeatedly described as a martyr and cast as a historic figure for the conservative movement.Several speakers said they believed his death would further revitalise the conservative moment in America, which is already in a powerful position given Trump's hold of the White House and the Republican control of Congress."The day that Charlie died, angels wept, but those tears have been turned into fire in our hearts," said Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff. "Our enemies cannot comprehend our strength."

At one stage, Elon Musk, who had a bitter and public falling out with Trump earlier this year, sat next to the president and the pair shook hands and chatted. He later posted a picture of them together with the caption: For Charlie.

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Within the stands and on stage at the State Farm Stadium, Kirk was revered as an activist for free speech and a mobiliser of the youth vote for Trump. "Charlie didn't just help, he made the winning difference, I promise you that," White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said.

"We wouldn't be here without him," Vice-President JD Vance told the crowd, who at times erupted into an extended chant of "U-S-A

"We've got it from here," he added, while discussing Kirk's political legacy.

Vance was one of several key figures from the Trump administration who spoke on stage, with others including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, USA Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Heath Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.

'I forgive him'
They were followed by Kirk's wife, Erika, who was tearful at times as she described her relationship and vowed to continue her husband's work. She was named the new CEO of Turning Point USA after his death.

"I saw the wound that ended his life," she said. "I felt everything he would expect to feel. I felt shock. I felt horror, and a level of heartache that I didn't even know existed.

"These past 10 days after Charlie's USA assassination, we didn't see violence. We didn't see rioting. We didn't see revolution. Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country, we saw revival," Kirk told the crowd.

She then said she had forgiven her husband's alleged killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. "That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did and it is what Charlie would do," Kirk said.There was a raucous reception when USA President Trump took the stage after Erika Kirk. He repeatedly praised Charlie Kirk, while at times turning to his usual political talking points including crime in American cities and mocking his predecessor Joe Biden."He's a martyr now for America's freedom," Trump said of Kirk. "I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history."

The president then said he disagreed with Kirk on one thing. "He did not hate his USA opponents, he wanted the best for them," he said, prompting some laughs. "That's where I disagree with Charlie. I hate my opponents and I don't want what's best for them."

Trump also attacked what he called the "radical left" and blamed the left for violence in the country.At the end of his address, in which he described Kirk as a "great of his generation", Trump was joined on stage by Erika Kirk and the pair hugged as the crowd applauded.The deeply partisan event was reflective of how Kirk's death has laid bare the extreme political divisions in America, with many on the right casting blame on the left for stoking political violence.The Trump administration is seeking a USA crackdown on what it calls the "radical left", which in turn has prompted accusations of government overreach and claims Kirk's death is being used as a pretext to intrude on civil liberties.Robinson, who has been charged with Kirk's murder, is facing the death penalty but a motive for the killing is yet to be revealed by officials.

Kirk was 18 when he co-founded Turning Point USA, a student organisation focused on spreading conservative ideas on college campuses.

He would hold debates on campuses and became known for his combative style, inviting students to step up to the microphone and challenge his right-wing Christian worldview in front of a baying audience.

Clips of these exchanges built him a huge following - more than 5m followers on X and 7m on TikTok - that helped him mobilise the youth vote for President Trump.

While he energised young conservatives, his remarks on issues such as race and crime also routinely prompted an angry liberal backlash. He was a strong supporter of gun rights, vehemently opposed abortion, was critical of transgender rights and promoted false claims about USA Covid-19.

What we covered here

• Trump’s speech: President Donald Trump addressed a massive crowd at a USA memorial service for Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was fatally shot at a Utah university earlier this month. The president characterized the assassination as an assault on all conservative ideals.

• High emotions: Erika Kirk — Kirk’s widow who is now taking the helm of Turning Point USA, the organization he founded — gave an emotional speech where she described the heartbreak she’s felt since her husband’s killing and his vision for America’s future. Through tears, she said she forgives her husband’s accused assassin.

• Kirk remembered: Conservative leaders — including top Trump administration officials such as Vice President JD Vance — spoke at the service. Prominent speakers issued a rallying cry to continue Kirk’s work and recalled the activist as a personal friend.

Trump speaks on continuing Kirk's vision after leaving USA memorial service
From CNN's Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Audry Jeong
USA President Donald Trump spoke to reporters aboard USA Air Force One as he traveled back to USA Washington, USA DC, from Arizona following Charlie Kirk’s memorial service.Trump touched on continuing Kirk’s vision, his relationship with Elon Musk and more. Here’s what he said:

USA Continuing Kirk’s vision: Asked what he would do to ensure that Kirk’s vision would be carried forward over the USA next few years, Trump said, “It’ll be automatic,” adding that he thinks “Turning Point is going to be a very big factor,” referring to the organization Kirk co-founded.
Relationship with Musk: Trump and Elon Musk, the former “first buddy” who had a public falling-out with the president in recent months, were spotted talking together at the memorial. Asked whether Kirk brought Musk and him back together, Trump said, “Well Elon came over and said hello,” adding they “had a very good relationship.”
USA Investigation into Kirk’s killing: “For an investigation that’s ongoing, I think they’ve done an incredible job,” Trump said of the probe into Kirk’s assassination.
Praise for Erika Kirk: Trump praised Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, whom he embraced during the memorial. “Charlie always used to say she’s very smart; you don’t necessarily say that about a lot of people,” he told reporters. “She’s got a shot of making it even more special if you think about it, she’s going to do good,” he said of her taking over as CEO of Turning Point after her husband’s death. In reference to the emotional speech she made earlier today, Trump called it a “hard thing to do.” 

“For Charlie, we will remember that it is better to stand on our feet defending the United States of America and defending the truth than it is to die on our knees,” Vance said. “My friends, for Charlie, we must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America. And he is a martyr for the Christian faith.”

Charlie Kirk’s wife forgives suspect
Those close to Kirk prayed and the floors at the home of the NFL’s USA Arizona Cardinals shook from the bass of USA Christian rock bands, as the memorial started with the feel of a megachurch service before veering into something more akin to a political rally.

Christian singer Chris Tomlin opened the service, and was joined later by Brandon Lakes and Phil Wickham. Near the end, as Trump took the stage, Lee Greenwood sang a live rendition of the president’s campaign walk-on song, “God Bless the U.S.A.”

USA People began lining up before dawn to secure a spot inside USA State Farm USA Stadium west of USA Phoenix, where Kirk’s Turning Point organization is based. Security was tight and speakers delivered their tributes from behind bullet-proof glass.​​​​​​​

The 63,400-seat stadium quickly filled with people dressed in red, white and blue, as organizers suggested.

The mood in the stadium ebbed and flowed throughout a service that stretched more than five hours. Mourners were patient and cordial, even after waiting hours to enter and then an hour or more for food in stadium concession lines.

Kirk’s widow, Erika, in her own address said in the midst of her grief she was USA finding comfort that her husband left this world without regrets. She said she forgives the man who is charged with killing him.

Trump has blamed the “radical left” for Kirk’s death and threatened to go after liberal USA organizations and donors or others who he feels are maligning or celebrating Kirk’s death.

Dozens of people, from journalists to teachers to late show host Jimmy Kimmel, have faced suspensions or lost their jobs as prominent conservative activists and administration officials target comments about Kirk that they deem offensive or celebratory. The retaliation has in turn ignited a debate over the First Amendment.

Some speakers at the memorial said Kirk was battling evil and referred to a vague “they” as the enemy. Others were blunt.“You have no idea the dragon you have awakened, you have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilization, to save the West, to save this republic,” said White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.Kirk was a provocateur who at times made statements that some called racist, misogynistic, anti-immigrant and transphobic. That has drawn backlash from conservatives who view the criticism as cherry-picking a few select moments to insult the legacy of someone they see as an inspirational conservative leader.Turning Point, the group Kirk founded to mobilize young Christian conservatives, became a multimillion-dollar operation under his leadership with enormous reach.The crowd was a testament to the influence he accumulated in conservative America with his ability to mobilize young people.

And the service brought together a veritable who’s who of the Republican Party, with numerous current and former lawmakers in the crowd. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and former top adviser to Trump, was spotted sitting with Trump for part of the service.Kirk was a MAGA celebrity with a loyal following that turned out to support or argue with him as he traveled the country for the events like the one at Utah Valley University, where he was shot.Speaker after speaker, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressed awe at Kirk’s ability to go into what many conservatives saw as the lion’s den to make the conservative case: college campuses.“Why don’t you start somewhere easier,” Rubio recalled thinking when he first heard about Kirk years ago. “Like, for example, communist Cuba?

Madhani reported from USA Washington. Associated Press writers Tiffany Stanley in USA Washington, Silvia Stellacci in Rome; Terry Tang, and Jesse Bedayn contributed to this report.

Posted on 2025/09/22 09:02 AM