{"id":121828,"date":"2025-09-22T06:08:36","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T06:08:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/09\/22\/trump-hails-charlie-kirk-as-american-hero-as-thousands-fill-memorial-service\/"},"modified":"2025-09-22T06:08:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T06:08:36","slug":"trump-hails-charlie-kirk-as-american-hero-as-thousands-fill-memorial-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/trump-hails-charlie-kirk-as-american-hero-as-thousands-fill-memorial-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump hails Charlie Kirk as \u2018American hero\u2019 as thousands fill memorial service"},"content":{"rendered":"

ARIZONA, Sept 22 \u2013 US President Donald Trump hailed the conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a \u201cgreat American hero\u201d and \u201cmartyr\u201d during a speech to tens of thousands of mourners at a memorial service in Arizona.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trump was the headline speaker at the packed event on Sunday, which saw top officials from his administration, including Vice-President JD Vance, praise Kirk\u2019s political legacy after he was shot dead on 10 September.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was assassinated because he lived bravely, he lived boldly and he argued brilliantly,\u201d Trump told the crowd at the State Farm Stadium near Phoenix.<\/p>\n

Kirk\u2019s wife, Erika, also delivered a tearful speech in which she said she had forgiven her husband\u2019s alleged killer.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,\u201d she said, adding: \u201cI forgive him because it is what Christ did. The answer to hate is not hate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tens of thousands of people queued for hours outside the stadium before the event, with some even camping out the night before to secure their spot. Many wore Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats, other Trump-branded items and red, white and blue outfits.<\/p>\n

Inside the stadium, the mood and atmosphere resembled a raucous political rally or megachurch service with music beforehand from Christian bands who prompted singalongs and prayer from the crowd of almost 100,000.<\/p>\n

The list of speakers included members of Kirk\u2019s organisation, Turning Point USA, which focuses on conservative activism on college campuses, well-known figures in the conservative movement, Trump administration officials and those who said they had been shaped by Kirk\u2019s work and right-wing Christian worldview.<\/p>\n

They stressed the need to continue the 31-year-old\u2019s activism and emphasised his deep faith throughout the five-hour service. Kirk, who was debating students at a university in Utah when he was shot dead, was repeatedly described as a martyr and cast as a historic figure for the conservative movement.<\/p>\n

Several speakers said they believed his death would further revitalise the conservative moment in America, which is already in a powerful position given Trump\u2019s hold of the White House and the Republican control of Congress.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe day that Charlie died, angels wept, but those tears have been turned into fire in our hearts,\u201d said Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff. \u201cOur enemies cannot comprehend our strength.\u201d<\/p>\n

At one stage, Elon Musk, who had a bitter and public falling out with Trump earlier this year, sat next to the president and the pair shook hands and chatted. He later posted a picture of them together with the caption: For Charlie.<\/p>\n

Within the stands and on stage at the State Farm Stadium, Kirk was revered as an activist for free speech and a mobiliser of the youth vote for Trump. \u201cCharlie didn\u2019t just help, he made the winning difference, I promise you that,\u201d White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t be here without him,\u201d Vice-President JD Vance told the crowd, who at times erupted into an extended chant of \u201cU-S-A, U-S-A\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got it from here,\u201d he added, while discussing Kirk\u2019s political legacy.<\/p>\n

Vance was one of several key figures from the Trump administration who spoke on stage, with others including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Heath Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.<\/p>\n

\u2018I forgive him\u2019<\/p>\n

They were followed by Kirk\u2019s wife, Erika, who was tearful at times as she described her relationship and vowed to continue her husband\u2019s work. She was named the new CEO of Turning Point USA after his death.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw the wound that ended his life,\u201d she said. \u201cI felt everything he would expect to feel. I felt shock. I felt horror, and a level of heartache that I didn\u2019t even know existed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese past 10 days after Charlie\u2019s assassination, we didn\u2019t see violence. We didn\u2019t see rioting. We didn\u2019t see revolution. Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country, we saw revival,\u201d Kirk told the crowd.<\/p>\n

She then said she had forgiven her husband\u2019s alleged killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. \u201cThat man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did and it is what Charlie would do,\u201d Kirk said.<\/p>\n

There was a raucous reception when President Trump took the stage after Erika Kirk. He repeatedly praised Charlie Kirk, while at times turning to his usual political talking points including crime in American cities and mocking his predecessor Joe Biden.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a martyr now for America\u2019s freedom,\u201d Trump said of Kirk. \u201cI know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President then said he disagreed with Kirk on one thing. \u201cHe did not hate his opponents, he wanted the best for them,\u201d he said, prompting some laughs. \u201cThat\u2019s where I disagree with Charlie. I hate my opponents and I don\u2019t want what\u2019s best for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump also attacked what he called the \u201cradical left\u201d and blamed the left for violence in the country.<\/p>\n

At the end of his address, in which he described Kirk as a \u201cgreat of his generation\u201d, Trump was joined on stage by Erika Kirk and the pair hugged as the crowd applauded.<\/p>\n

The deeply partisan event was reflective of how Kirk\u2019s death has laid bare the extreme political divisions in America, with many on the right casting blame on the left for stoking political violence.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration is seeking a crackdown on what it calls the \u201cradical left\u201d, which in turn has prompted accusations of government overreach and claims Kirk\u2019s death is being used as a pretext to intrude on civil liberties.<\/p>\n

Robinson, who has been charged with Kirk\u2019s murder, is facing the death penalty but a motive for the killing is yet to be revealed by officials.<\/p>\n

Kirk was 18 when he co-founded Turning Point USA, a student organisation focused on spreading conservative ideas on college campuses.<\/p>\n

He would hold debates on campuses and became known for his combative style, inviting students to step up to the microphone and challenge his right-wing Christian worldview in front of a baying audience.<\/p>\n

Clips of these exchanges built him a huge following \u2013 more than 5m followers on X and 7m on TikTok \u2013 that helped him mobilise the youth vote for President Trump.<\/p>\n

While he energised young conservatives, his remarks on issues such as race and crime also routinely prompted an angry liberal backlash. He was a strong supporter of gun rights, vehemently opposed abortion, was critical of transgender rights and promoted false claims about Covid-19.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ARIZONA, Sept 22 \u2013 US President Donald Trump hailed the conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a \u201cgreat American hero\u201d and \u201cmartyr\u201d during a speech to tens of thousands of mourners at a memorial service in Arizona. Trump was the headline speaker at the packed event on Sunday, which saw top officials from his administration, including […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121828"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121828\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}