Trump, Erika Kirk, officials, and conservative leaders spotlighted Charlie Kirk’s faith and vowed to carry on his movement.
PHOENIX—Tens of thousands turned out for Charlie Kirk’s memorial service at 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, cabinet members, conservative leaders, and those who knew and worked with the conservative commentator the closest.
The event came 11 days after the 31-year-old father of two was killed by a shooter at an event at a university in Utah.
Kirk was honored for the lives he touched, his commitment to his Christian faith, and his passion for debating politics with anyone willing to engage. Speakers also remembered Kirk’s years of work dedicated to building Turning Point USA, an organization credited for helping conservatives break through to young people.
Here are eight key moments from the event memorializing Kirk’s life and legacy.
Kirk’s Widow Forgives Alleged Assassin
Erika Kirk quoted scripture and wiped tears from her eyes as she offered compassion to 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the man authorities have charged with murdering her husband.
“On the Cross, our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,’” she said, visibly holding back tears.
“That young man, I forgive him,” she said, visibly holding back tears. “I forgive him because it’s what Christ did and what Charlie would do.”
She said her husband was motivated by saving the “lost boys of the West,” a reference to boys who never grow up in “Peter Pan.”
She described these as “the young men who feel like they have no direction, no purpose, no faith, and no reason to live.”
“My husband, Charlie, wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life,” she stated.
She implored Americans to counter hate with love, saying that responding with hate is never an appropriate answer.
Leading by example is what her husband would want, she said, vowing to continue his mission of getting “young people pointed in the right direction.”
Erika Kirk Issues Challenges to Men, Women
Erika Kirk called on men and women to prioritize faith and family, highlighting how important both were to her husband.
A loving, supportive marriage was a hallmark of Kirk’s life, she said, and one that he wanted to serve as a model for others.
“To all the men watching around the world, accept Charlie’s challenge and embrace true manhood,” she said.
“Be strong and courageous for your families. Love your wives and lead them. Love your children and protect them. Be the spiritual head of your home, but please be a leader worth following.”
She asked women and wives to lead their families with dignity and grace.
“Be virtuous,” she stated. “We are the guardians, we are the encouragers, we are the preservers.”
Erika Kirk said a wife is not a servant, employee, or slave. “She is your helper. You are not rivals. You are one flesh, working together for the glory of God,” she stated.
Trump: Kirk ‘Will Live Forever’
During his remarks, Trump said that Kirk “will live forever” in the wake of his assassination.
“None of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk. And neither, now, will history,” the president said.
Trump said Kirk’s “voice on Earth will echo through the generations, and his name will live forever in the eternal chronicle of America’s greatest patriots.”
In the wake of his assassination, the political commentator has become “eternal,” the president said.
“Charlie is … bigger today than he was two weeks ago,” Trump said. “He’s bigger now than ever before, and he’s eternal.”
Trump said that Kirk had faced death threats for years, yet never backed down despite knowing the risks.
Trump recounted a motto Kirk had shared with him: “Never back down, and never, ever surrender.”
“He believed in it so strongly,” Trump said. “And he’s right. He’s totally right.”
Kirk’s Last Moments
Frank Turek, one of Kirk’s mentors, was present at the conservative commentator’s final event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 when he was assassinated.
He recalled the moment Kirk was shot on stage and the desperate attempts the security team made to save the Turning Point USA cofounder’s life in the moments that followed.
Turek, a Christian author and speaker, said the security team did everything it could to save Kirk. They carried him to an SUV to take him to the hospital as Turek climbed in the back.
“I want you to know that we did everything we could to save Charlie, but Charlie was already gone,” he said.
“He was looking past me right into eternity and, if it’s any comfort at all, I learned later that Charlie felt no pain.
“He died instantly, but we had to try and bring him back.”
Erika Kirk remembered seeing her husband’s body at a hospital in Utah, noticing the “faintest smile” on his lips.
“And that told me something important. It revealed to me a great mercy from God in this tragedy,” she said.
Speakers Praise Kirk’s Faith, Describe Him As ‘Martyr’
During his life, Kirk was outspoken about his Christian faith. A tribute video played at the event shows a clip of Kirk answering the question, “How do you want to be remembered?’
Kirk replies: “I want to be remembered for courage for my faith; that would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith.”
His faith was a recurring theme mentioned by speakers during the service.
Trump praised the 31-year-old as a “martyr for American freedom.”
“On that terrible day, September 10, 2025, our greatest evangelist for American liberty became immortal,” Trump said.
“He’s a martyr now for American freedom,” the president added, saying that Kirk “has been reunited with his creator in heaven.”
Vice President JD Vance, who considered Kirk a close friend and political ally, called Kirk a “hero to the United States of America” and a “martyr for the Christian faith.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Kirk waged a “spiritual war” through his organization.
“Over time, he realized, like so many of us have, that this is not a political war. It’s not even a cultural war. It’s a spiritual war: faith and family first,” Hegseth said.
Journalist Tucker Carlson said Kirk’s Christian faith guided his core message.
“The main thing about Charlie and his message … he was doing the thing that the people in charge hate most, which is calling for them to repent,” Carlson said.
Kirk recognized, Carlson said, that “change begins—the only change that matters—when we repent of our sins.”
“A recognition that the real problem is me and how fallen I am. And that was the reason that Charlie was fearless at all times,” he stated.
Trump Jr. Recalls Kirk’s Bravery
Donald Trump Jr. highlighted Kirk’s bravery during his memorial speech.
“At Michigan State University, five minutes before we were supposed to go on stage, the State Police told us, and I quote, ‘We can no longer guarantee your safety,’” he said, adding that political activists were protesting Kirk’s appearance.
“It was rough. That sounded like a great reason to pack it up and head out, but it was one of the many times that I would agree with Charlie, who said, ‘No way, we’re going out there anyway,’” Trump Jr. said.
He also recalled one of the last events of the 2024 presidential campaign at Arizona State University. Someone called in a threat in an attempt to keep them off the stage, he said, but they “went out there anyway without fear.”
“Charlie led the way,” Trump Jr. stated. “His message was clear then, and his message is clear now. We won’t back down. We won’t be intimidated.”
Speakers Describe Kirk’s Early Days With TPUSA
Several speakers also discussed Kirk’s youth and early days with Turning Point USA (TPUSA).
Trump referenced Kirk’s little-known high school athletic career, during which he was a football quarterback and basketball team captain, and his past as an Eagle Scout.
“Inspired by faith and his love of freedom, Charlie did something remarkable when he was just 18 years old, on the advice of a mentor … he devoted his life to converting young people to the conservative cause,” Trump said.
“In 2012, two days after graduating high school and with just $1,800 in his pocket, this young man from Illinois, who no one had ever heard of, started an organization whose grand ambitions were captured in its name: Turning Point USA.”
Tyler Bowyer, chief operating officer at TPUSA, recounted the early days of the nonprofit organization he helped found with Kirk.
Bowyer said Kirk was motivated to start the group at the age of 21 to combat rising liberal proclivities in the millennial generation—and once he got started, Bowyer said Kirk worked nonstop to bring his vision into fruition.
“We worked 24/7. … Between me and him, we were a team that was never off the clock,” Bowyer said.
He said Kirk went “all over the country like a crazy man” in pursuit of “any and every possible donor” to help fund the group.
Celebration and Revival
The congregation gathered in the stadium in Glendale from all across the country. They dressed in red, blue, and white, as suggested by the organizers, to honor the slain conservative commentator. Those who spoke to The Epoch Times came from Florida, Colorado, and Pennsylvania.
However, they were there to celebrate Kirk’s life rather than mourn his passing.
“Obviously, we’re all sad about what happened with Charlie Kirk,” 15-year-old Hezekiah Rivers told The Epoch Times. “But what is going to come after this?”
He added, “This is just the beginning of what he wanted to occur.”
Attendees also appeared to agree that it was more than just a celebration of one man’s life. They told The Epoch Times that the gathering was a demonstration of unity and revival.
“It’s the biggest revival of our faith, our family, and our country that I’ve seen in a generation,” Chris Johnson from Pennsylvania said. “It’s amazing.”
Attendees also expressed a sense of hope for the future and a call to action for everyone to get out into their communities and reestablish peaceful dialogue with each other for the next generation and for the country.
Retention of faith also appeared to be a necessity going forward.
“I hope for sure it gets better,” 18-year-old Calvin Gate from Arizona told The Epoch Times. “God turns a negative into a positive, and I know the assassination is definitely a negative. I feel like God will bring a light to that and make good out of it.”
By Jacob Burg, Joseph Lord, Travis Gillmore, T.J. Muscaro, Ryan Morgan
