Topline
President Donald Trump said he would award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously as he eulogized the late activist at a memorial Sunday, following speeches from Kirk’s wife Erika and many members of the Trump administration to tens of thousands of supporters.
President Donald Trump stands with Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, at his memorial service in Arizona.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
Trump echoed earlier speakers, calling Kirk an “evangelist for American liberty” and a “martyr now for American freedom” as he spoke of Kirk’s childhood before detouring briefly to preview a forthcoming announcement on autism at the White House this week.
Towards the end, of his remarks, Trump turned his attention to the left, who he has frequently blamed for after Kirk’s murder: “There is one part of the political community that believes they have the monopoly on truth, goodness, and virtue, and concludes they have also a monopoly on power thought and speech—well, that’s not happening anymore.”
Trump said he was planning to award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a ceremony at the White House, and called Kirk’s widow Erika back to the stage after finishing his speech.
The speech concluded a five-hour-plus memorial service attended by tens of thousands of mourners who filled State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals, wearing red, white, and blue clothing and singing along to Christian rock and hymns as the memorial service began Sunday afternoon.
Among the more fiery speeches were Stephen Miller, who talked about fighting “enemies” and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who last week said his department would deny visas to those celebrating Kirk’s death, according to CNN.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. noted that Jesus Christ died at age 33 and “changed the trajectory of history,” and then added, “Charlie died at 31 years old, but because he had surrendered [to God], he also now has changed the trajectory of history.”
Vice President JD Vance who called the memorial service a Christian revival rather than a funeral, lamented that “In the wake of his death, we have seen some of the very worst parts of humanity,” and adding, “We have watched people slander him, we have watched people justify his murder and celebrate his death.”
But Vance said he believed if he could ask Kirk for advice, the activist would encourage him to remember “the good,” and that more people were celebrating and continuing his legacy instead.
The vice president ended his speech by calling Kirk a “hero of the United States” and “martyr for the Christian faith.”
Kirk’s widow Erika, who will take over for her husband as CEO of Turning Point USA, was in tears before addressing the crowd, who gave her a standing ovation.
A crowd gathers outside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona for Kirk’s service.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Law enforcement direct the line before the Charlie Kirk memorial service.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
People begin lining up before dawn outside State Farm Stadium.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
A memorial for Kirk is seen on the side of State Farm Stadium.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
What Did Kirk’s Widow Say?
In an emotional speech, Erika Kirk described identifying her husband’s body after the shooting, and his last moments. Erika said her husband wanted to save young men “like the one who took his life,” before quoting Christ’s last words on the cross: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” In an emotional moment Kirk said she forgave her husband’s murderer. “The answer to hate is not hate,” Erika said, to another standing ovation. “The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love, love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”
How Did Speakers Eulogize Kirk?
Pastor Rob McCoy, Kirk’s personal pastor and the co-chair of Turning Point Faith, the organization Kirk founded to organize Christian pastors around conservative causes, set the Christian tone for the eventMany of the speakers commented on Kirk’s Christian faith, including former Republican Presidential candidate Ben Carson and right wing podcaster Benny Johnson. Johnson called Kirk “a martyr in the true Christian tradition” and credited him for turning him to Christianity; on his Instagram feed he said the memorial was a “spiritual revival.” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said Kirk offered her a job leading Hispanic outreach at TPUSA and compared him to other assassinated political figures—former President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Larry Arnn, the president of the conservative Hillsdale College said the school would set up a scholarship for Kirk’s children and give Kirk, who never graduated college, an honorary degree.
Who Is Expected To Speak?
Trump and Vance will headline the event as featured speakers, alongside Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk, who was named CEO of his group Turning Point USA in the days following her husband’s assassination. Other speakers listed by TPUSA include several White House staff and Cabinet members, including Rubio, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It will also feature several prominent conservative media figures, including former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and the president’s son Donald Trump Jr.
Did Elon Musk Attend?
Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX was seen attending the memorial. Later, he was seen speaking with Trump inside the president’s bulletproof glass box. Musk was a fixture in the White House for months as he led the president’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” but departed in May as a rift grew between the two billionaires. Musk later shared an image of himself with Trump in a post on X with the caption “for Charlie.”
Tangent
In his remarks, Trump said Kirk played a role in bringing Kennedy into the Trump administration, before previewing what he called one of the “biggest announcements, medically, in the history of our country.” Trump offered few concrete details, but said “I think we found an answer to autism.” The administration has been preparing to announce a link between autism and tylenol use during pregnancy, Politico reported.
Where Was The Service Held?
The service was held in Glendale, Arizona, at the Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium, the 63,400-seat football stadium which can be expanded to seat a total of 72,200 spectators, while overflow seating was directed to the nearby Desert Diamond Arena. Police expected a crowd of 100,000, according to CNN, and cars began arriving at the stadium in the early morning hours Sunday. Posts on social media showed a crowd gathered in the dark already lining up to get into the stadium. The service is being streamed on C-SPAN, YouTube, and on Charlie Kirk’s Rumble channel.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2025/09/21/charlie-kirk-memorial-trump-says-hell-award-kirk-presidential-medal-of-freedom/
