Former President Donald Trump hailed Charlie Kirk as a “great American hero” and “martyr” on Sunday as tens of thousands of mourners filled the State Farm Stadium in Arizona for the conservative activist’s memorial service.
Kirk, 31, was shot dead on September 10 while debating students at a university in Utah. His killing has shaken the conservative movement, where he was celebrated as a rising star and mobiliser of young voters through his organisation, Turning Point USA.
“He was assassinated because he lived bravely, he lived boldly and he argued brilliantly,” Trump told the crowd, which swelled to nearly 100,000. The stadium’s atmosphere mirrored a political rally, with Christian bands leading worship music and supporters dressed in MAGA hats, Trump merchandise, and patriotic red, white, and blue outfits.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other senior Trump administration officials praised Kirk’s political legacy, while his wife, Erika Kirk, delivered a tearful tribute. “My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said. “I forgive him because it is what Christ did. The answer to hate is not hate.”
The emotional moment underscored the deeply partisan undertone of the event, where several speakers cast Kirk as a martyr whose death would fuel the conservative cause. “The day that Charlie died, angels wept, but those tears have been turned into fire in our hearts,” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said.
Among the surprises of the evening was Elon Musk, who had clashed with Trump earlier this year but appeared alongside him, shaking hands and later posting a photo with the caption: “For Charlie.”
Inside the stadium, Kirk was repeatedly described as a historic figure in the conservative movement. “Charlie didn’t just help, he made the winning difference, I promise you that,” White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told the crowd. “We wouldn’t be here without him,” Vance added, prompting chants of “U-S-A” that echoed across the stadium.
Erika Kirk, now named CEO of Turning Point USA, pledged to continue her late husband’s mission. “These past 10 days after Charlie’s assassination, we didn’t see violence. We didn’t see rioting. Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country—we saw revival.”
Trump, in his closing remarks, leaned into his familiar rhetoric about crime and the “radical left” but returned often to praise Kirk. “He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said. “None of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.” At one point he added with a smile: “He did not hate his opponents, he wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagree with Charlie. I hate my opponents and I don’t want what’s best for them,” drawing laughter from the crowd.
The service lasted five hours, blending worship, politics, and mourning. It ended with Trump and Erika Kirk embracing on stage before the roaring crowd.
Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with Kirk’s murder and faces the death penalty, though authorities have not confirmed a motive. Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point USA at age 18, built a massive following—over 5 million on X and 7 million on TikTok—by staging combative campus debates on free speech, faith, and conservative politics. His influence made him a central figure in the MAGA youth movement, even as his views on race, abortion, and COVID-19 provoked intense backlash from liberals.
To his supporters, however, Kirk’s death has only solidified his role as a martyr of the movement. “He was one of the greats of his generation,” Trump said.
