Erika Kirk steps on stage during the memorial service for her delayed husband, the conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, on September 21, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Washington President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several cabinet officials spoke on Sunday in Arizona at a five-hour commemoration for the delayed conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, whom the Republicans mourn as a friend and as a strength behind Trump’s second presidency.
Trump said to a packed stadium: “America loved Charlie Kirk.”
“It is painful and unthinkable to say goodbye to a patriot whose heart had to give so much,” said Trump.
The President described the alleged shooter that the authorities were based on Kirk as a “radicalized, cold -blooded monster”.
Trump praised Kirk and said it was the influence of the activist who helped him choose Vance as Vice President. In his comments on Kirk, Trump was insulted and aimed at what he described as “radical lunatics”, promoted his anti-crime campaign and teased an upcoming announcement of administration about autism.
Vance spoke about his friendship with Kirk and led the impetus of the voter back to the conservatism on Kirks and said Kirk had changed the course of American history.
Vance has joined Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi in the past few days, who demanded consequences for Americans who criticized Kirk after his death. During his comments in the monument, Vance said that he had seen in comments and social media posts “the worst parts of humanity”.
Defense Minister Pete Hegseth told Kirk a decade ago when he built a movement.
“I still have this sticker (the reads)” Big Government Sucks “,” said Hegseth and remembered an early campaign slogan for the Turning Point USA. The Kirk organization was a co -founder in 2012.
Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff of the White House, said that those who are devoted to Kirk will “defeat the forces of darkness and evil”.
“They thought they could kill Charlie Kirk. They made him immortal,” said Miller.
Kirk’s wife Erika Kirk confirmed that she will now sit at the head of Wende Point USA as CEO of the non -profit organization after several speakers had indicated the future of the organization to change.
In an emotional speech, she told those present that she had awarded the alleged shooter.
“I give him because it was what Christ did. It is what Charlie would do, the answer to hate is not hatred”, Erika Kirk ” said.
During his comments, Trump jokingly apologized to Erika because he said he could “not stand” his opponents.
Kirk “didn’t hated his opponents. He wanted the best for her. I didn’t agree to him there. I hate my opponents and don’t want the best for her. I’m sorry, Erika,” said Trump.
Musk, congress members present
The memorial service started at 11 a.m. Mountain Time in the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, which sits over 60,000.
A huge painting by Kirk who was fatally shot 11 days ago was shown on stage at the age of 31. Large LED screens played videos and showed photos of the activist, who was very influential among republicans and conservatives.
A seven-member volume supported the Christian singer Chris Tomlin when the Trump government officers went to the floor of the stadium. The cameras conquered the entrances from Hegseth, Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, director of the National Secret Services Tulsi Gabbard and secretary for health and human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The billionaire Elon Musk, a gigantic donor from Trump’s 2024 campaign and the former chairman of Trump’s state efficiency project, entered the stadium to cheer, so Cnn. Cameras caught Trump and Muschus, who shake hands and apparently spoke when they sat together with Trump’s statements.
Current and former US senators and representatives were among the members of the audience, including the former US deputy of Florida, Matt Gaetz.
A US military color guard showed flags during the national anthem.
The memorial service was livestream and is available C-span.
Journalists outside The stadium reported that thousands of people early in the hope of participating in the ceremony.
Kirk was fatally shot by a suspected lonely shooter on September 10 when he spoke at Utah Valley University, according to the authorities who are striving for the death penalty. NBC reported Saturday that law enforcement officers have not found a connection between Kirk’s shootout and left -wing groups.
The native of Tyler Robinson in Utah, 22, is charged In seven charges, including severe murder, violent crime in the presence of a child and witnesses manipulated witness.
According to the authorities, Robinson sent text messages to his roommate via “Hass” after the recordings. Loading documents state that Robinson’s parents told their son’s Recent interest In LGBTQ rights and that he had started to lean more to the left.
Charlie Kirk called a “martyr”
The speakers praised Kirk’s work and in numerous places during the ceremony described him as a “martyr” for the conservative movement and Christianity.
The right-wing extremist YouTube commentator Benny Johnson referred to Kirk’s “Revival Spirit” and the influence on the spread of a Christian worldview.
“Charlie Kirk is a martyr in the true Christian tradition. They take out a tyrant, his power disappears. They have reduced a martyr, his power is growing,” said Johnson.
Johnson called Trump Administration civil servants in the crowd as the “ruler of our country”.
“We can pray that our rulers have rightly initiated and given through our God, initiate the sword for the terrorism of the evil men in our nation in Charlie’s memory. I would like to live in a country in which evil is frightened, and in which the good and the believers and the moral people of our nation can live in peace in peace, discuss in peace and start in peace and in peace and in peace Peace can begin. “
GOP MP Anna Paulina Luna from Florida said she owed Kirk to her political career, which she commissioned for newborn Hispanic voters.
“These were the sparks that illuminated the way for me on the evening before my departure into the medical faculty to decide to change the course and to connect TP USA.
The US house passed A resolution on Friday to Kirk, supported by all Republicans and 95 Democrats.
President and memorial services
It is noteworthy that a seated president, vice president and several cabinet members make comments on a memorial service for a private individual. Trump ordered to have reduced flags after Kirk’s death.
Trump card spokeTogether with the Republican congress leaders in the US Capitol in 2018 in a monument to the delayed evangelist Billy Graham, who had relationships with US President who decades back, with Graham be in honor In the Capitol Rotunde. Trump card ordered Flags in half -relay.
President Barack Obama delivered The laudation for the nine victims of racist mass shootings in the mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Obama in particular sang “Amazing Grace” spontaneously. Obama did it not Order flags lowered after the massacre.
Kirk cared for Professor observation list, host Podcast
Kirk was born in 1993 in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights.
He was a co-founder of Turning Point USA to mobilize conservative newborn people and newborn adults on the high school and college campus.
Kirk toured on campus in the USA and spoke about contemporary, hard-working topics, including anti-LGBTQ positions and encouraged newborn women to withdraw from their careers and return at home.
One of the organization’s projects included the “Professor Watchlist”, which published the names of professors across the country in the sought-after format by categories, including “anti-Christian views”, “feminism”, “climate alemist” and “racial ideology” website.
Kirk was host “The Charlie Kirk Show”, a successful Daily Radio Show and Podcast. In July, Kirk devoted a whole episode to the Jeffrey Epstein case and was one of those from Trump’s voter base to request the president to publish more information about the federal investigation of the deceased financier and the convicted sex offenders.
Kirk’s work attracted attention beyond the United States. Rev. Rob McCoy, Kirks Pastor, recently told a trip to South Korea
“Charlie saw politics as a ramp of Jesus,” said McCoy of the crowd.
Turning Point USA Inc., which has been exempted from tax since 2014, reported sales of $ 84.9 million in 2024, as was published from the publicly available 990 tax forms of the organization on Prublica’s Non -profit explorer.
