Trump, Erika Kirk, officers, and conservative leaders spotlighted Charlie Kirk’s religion and vowed to hold on his motion.
PHOENIX—Tens of hundreds turned out for Charlie Kirk’s memorial service on the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sept. 21, which featured speeches from President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, cupboard members, conservative leaders, and those that knew and labored with the conservative commentator the closest.
The occasion got here 11 days after the 31-year-old father of two was killed by a shooter at an occasion at a college in Utah.
Kirk was honored for the lives he touched, his dedication to his Christian religion, and his ardour for debating politics with anybody keen to interact. Audio system additionally remembered Kirk’s years of labor devoted to constructing Turning Level USA, a company credited for serving to conservatives break by way of to younger individuals.
Listed here are eight key moments from the occasion memorializing Kirk’s life and legacy.
Kirk’s Widow Forgives Alleged Murderer
Erika Kirk quoted scripture and wiped tears from her eyes as she provided compassion to 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the person authorities have charged with murdering her husband.
“On the Cross, our Savior mentioned, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,’” she mentioned, visibly holding again tears.
“That younger man, I forgive him,” she mentioned, visibly holding again tears. “I forgive him as a result of it’s what Christ did and what Charlie would do.”
She mentioned her husband was motivated by saving the “misplaced boys of the West,” a reference to boys who by no means develop up in “Peter Pan.”
She described these as “the younger males who really feel like they haven’t any path, no goal, no religion, and no motive to reside.”
“My husband, Charlie, wished to save lots of younger males similar to the one who took his life,” she acknowledged.
She implored Individuals to counter hate with love, saying that responding with hate isn’t an acceptable reply.
Main by instance is what her husband would need, she mentioned, vowing to proceed his mission of getting “younger individuals pointed in the fitting path.”
Erika Kirk Points Challenges to Males, Girls
Erika Kirk referred to as on women and men to prioritize religion and household, highlighting how necessary each have been to her husband.
A loving, supportive marriage was a trademark of Kirk’s life, she mentioned, and one which he wished to function a mannequin for others.
“To all the lads watching around the globe, settle for Charlie’s problem and embrace true manhood,” she mentioned.
“Be robust and brave on your households. Love your wives and lead them. Love your youngsters and defend them. Be the religious head of your own home, however please be a frontrunner value following.”
She requested girls and wives to guide their households with dignity and beauty.
“Be virtuous,” she acknowledged. “We’re the guardians, we’re the encouragers, we’re the preservers.”
Erika Kirk mentioned a spouse is just not a servant, worker, or slave. “She is your helper. You aren’t rivals. You might be one flesh, working collectively for the glory of God,” she acknowledged.
Trump: Kirk ‘Will Dwell Ceaselessly’
Throughout his remarks, Trump mentioned that Kirk “will reside perpetually” within the wake of his assassination.
“None of us will ever neglect Charlie Kirk. And neither, now, will historical past,” the president mentioned.
Trump mentioned Kirk’s “voice on Earth will echo by way of the generations, and his identify will reside perpetually within the everlasting chronicle of America’s best patriots.”
Within the wake of his assassination, the political commentator has turn out to be “everlasting,” the president mentioned.
“Charlie is … larger at this time than he was two weeks in the past,” Trump mentioned. “He’s larger now than ever earlier than, and he’s everlasting.”
Trump mentioned that Kirk had confronted dying threats for years, but by no means backed down regardless of figuring out the dangers.
Trump recounted a motto Kirk had shared with him: “By no means again down, and by no means, ever give up.”
“He believed in it so strongly,” Trump mentioned. “And he’s proper. He’s completely proper.”
Kirk’s Final Moments
Frank Turek, certainly one of Kirk’s mentors, was current on the conservative commentator’s ultimate occasion at Utah Valley College on Sept. 10 when he was assassinated.
He recalled the second Kirk was shot on stage and the determined makes an attempt the safety staff made to save lots of the Turning Level USA cofounder’s life within the moments that adopted.
Turek, a Christian writer and speaker, mentioned the safety staff did all the things it may to save lots of Kirk. They carried him to an SUV to take him to the hospital as Turek climbed within the again.
“I would like you to know that we did all the things we may to save lots of Charlie, however Charlie was already gone,” he mentioned.
“He was wanting previous me proper into eternity and, if it’s any consolation in any respect, I discovered later that Charlie felt no ache.
“He died immediately, however we needed to try to convey him again.”
Erika Kirk remembered seeing her husband’s physique at a hospital in Utah, noticing the “faintest smile” on his lips.
“And that advised me one thing necessary. It revealed to me a fantastic mercy from God on this tragedy,” she mentioned.
Audio system Reward Kirk’s Religion, Describe Him As ‘Martyr’
Throughout his life, Kirk was outspoken about his Christian religion. A tribute video performed on the occasion exhibits a clip of Kirk answering the query, “How do you wish to be remembered?’
Kirk replies: “I wish to be remembered for braveness for my religion; that might be crucial factor. A very powerful factor is my religion.”
His religion was a recurring theme talked about by audio system through the service.
Trump praised the 31-year-old as a “martyr for American freedom.”
“On that horrible day, September 10, 2025, our best evangelist for American liberty turned immortal,” Trump mentioned.
“He’s a martyr now for American freedom,” the president added, saying that Kirk “has been reunited together with his creator in heaven.”
Vice President JD Vance, who thought of Kirk an in depth buddy and political ally, referred to as Kirk a “hero to the US of America” and a “martyr for the Christian religion.”
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned Kirk waged a “religious battle” by way of his group.
“Over time, he realized, like so many people have, that this isn’t a political battle. It’s not even a cultural battle. It’s a religious battle: religion and household first,” Hegseth mentioned.
Journalist Tucker Carlson mentioned Kirk’s Christian religion guided his core message.
“The principle factor about Charlie and his message … he was doing the factor that the individuals in cost hate most, which is asking for them to repent,” Carlson mentioned.
Kirk acknowledged, Carlson mentioned, that “change begins—the one change that issues—after we repent of our sins.”
“A recognition that the actual drawback is me and the way fallen I’m. And that was the explanation that Charlie was fearless always,” he acknowledged.
Trump Jr. Recollects Kirk’s Bravery
Donald Trump Jr. highlighted Kirk’s bravery throughout his memorial speech.
“At Michigan State College, 5 minutes earlier than we have been presupposed to go on stage, the State Police advised us, and I quote, ‘We will not assure your security,’” he mentioned, including that political activists have been protesting Kirk’s look.
“It was tough. That appeared like a fantastic motive to pack it up and head out, but it surely was one of many many occasions that I might agree with Charlie, who mentioned, ‘No manner, we’re going on the market anyway,’” Trump Jr. mentioned.
He additionally recalled one of many final occasions of the 2024 presidential marketing campaign at Arizona State College. Somebody referred to as in a risk in an try and hold them off the stage, he mentioned, however they “went on the market anyway with out worry.”
“Charlie led the way in which,” Trump Jr. acknowledged. “His message was clear then, and his message is obvious now. We received’t again down. We received’t be intimidated.”
Audio system Describe Kirk’s Early Days With TPUSA
A number of audio system additionally mentioned Kirk’s youth and early days with Turning Level USA (TPUSA).
Trump referenced Kirk’s little-known highschool athletic profession, throughout which he was a soccer quarterback and basketball staff captain, and his previous as an Eagle Scout.
“Impressed by religion and his love of freedom, Charlie did one thing exceptional when he was simply 18 years previous, on the recommendation of a mentor … he devoted his life to changing younger individuals to the conservative trigger,” Trump mentioned.
“In 2012, two days after graduating highschool and with simply $1,800 in his pocket, this younger man from Illinois, who nobody had ever heard of, began a company whose grand ambitions have been captured in its identify: Turning Level USA.”
Tyler Bowyer, chief working officer at TPUSA, recounted the early days of the nonprofit group he helped discovered with Kirk.
Bowyer mentioned Kirk was motivated to begin the group on the age of 21 to fight rising liberal proclivities within the millennial era—and as soon as he obtained began, Bowyer mentioned Kirk labored nonstop to convey his imaginative and prescient into fruition.
“We labored 24/7. … Between me and him, we have been a staff that was by no means off the clock,” Bowyer mentioned.
He mentioned Kirk went “all around the nation like a loopy man” in pursuit of “any and each potential donor” to assist fund the group.
Celebration and Revival
The congregation gathered within the stadium in Glendale from all throughout the nation. They wearing pink, blue, and white, as prompt by the organizers, to honor the slain conservative commentator. Those that spoke to The Epoch Instances got here from Florida, Colorado, and Pennsylvania.
Nonetheless, they have been there to rejoice Kirk’s life reasonably than mourn his passing.
“Clearly, we’re all unhappy about what occurred with Charlie Kirk,” 15-year-old Hezekiah Rivers advised The Epoch Instances. “However what will come after this?”
He added, “That is only the start of what he wished to happen.”
Attendees additionally appeared to agree that it was greater than only a celebration of 1 man’s life. They advised The Epoch Instances that the gathering was an illustration of unity and revival.
“It’s the largest revival of our religion, our household, and our nation that I’ve seen in a era,” Chris Johnson from Pennsylvania mentioned. “It’s wonderful.”
Attendees additionally expressed a way of hope for the long run and a name to motion for everybody to get out into their communities and reestablish peaceable dialogue with one another for the following era and for the nation.
Retention of religion additionally seemed to be a necessity going ahead.
“I hope for certain it will get higher,” 18-year-old Calvin Gate from Arizona advised The Epoch Instances. “God turns a detrimental right into a constructive, and I do know the assassination is unquestionably a detrimental. I really feel like God will convey a light-weight to that and make good out of it.”
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