Tens of thousands of people filled State Farm Stadium in Arizona on Sunday to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed earlier this month while speaking at Utah Valley University.
President Donald Trump led the tributes, calling Kirk, 31, a “martyr” for American freedom and praising his role in reshaping U.S. politics.
“I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk, and neither now will history,” Trump told attendees.
Conservatives Remember Kirk as a Martyr and Warrior
Speakers repeatedly invoked the word “martyr” to describe Kirk, often tying it to his Christian faith.
- Benny Johnson, a conservative commentator, declared: “Charlie Kirk is now a martyr. His power will only grow.”
- Vice President JD Vance called him “a hero to the United States of America” and “a martyr for the Christian faith.”
- Lawmakers, including Florida’s Anna Paulina Luna, compared Kirk to historic figures such as George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.
The service blended politics and religion, beginning with hours of Christian worship music before transitioning into speeches.
Trump and Allies Pledge Kirk’s Work Will Continue
Several speakers emphasized that Kirk’s political work will not end with his death.
Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy, told the crowd:
“They cannot imagine what they have awakened. They cannot conceive of the army that they have arisen in all of us.”
Trump described Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization Kirk founded at age 18, as a “juggernaut of American politics” that will “be bigger and better than ever before.”
Nearly the entire Cabinet attended the service, underscoring Kirk’s influence on the conservative movement.
Erika Kirk Offers Forgiveness
In one of the most emotional moments, Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, said she forgave the man accused of killing her husband.
“That young man, I forgive him,” she said, drawing a standing ovation.
Authorities have charged Tyler Robinson, 22, with aggravated murder and related offenses.
Erika Kirk also described her grief, recalling seeing her husband’s body and interpreting his “faintest smile” as a sign he did not suffer. She added that she had been elected to succeed him as CEO of Turning Point USA, pledging to continue campus debates and defending the First Amendment.
“No assassin will ever stop us from standing up to defend those rights,” she said.
Trump’s Closing Remarks
In his closing speech, Trump described Kirk as “our greatest evangelist for American liberty” and declared him “immortal.”
Trump praised Kirk’s “will to fight, fight, fight” while also using the occasion to denounce political violence, criticize the left, and outline unrelated policy points, including tariffs and healthcare.
He ended by inviting Erika Kirk back on stage, where the two embraced before the crowd.
