Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, the founder and leader of Turning Point USA, was remembered for his faith and courage at a memorial service attended by thousands.
The day-long memorial service at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, a suburb outside Phoenix, featured live music, as well as comments about Kirk from his wife Erika Kirk, President Donald Trump, his friends and colleagues in politics, administration officials, and others.
The 73,000-seat stadium wasn’t able to keep up with attendance, as expected, and an overflow area had been set up outside the stadium in advance.
The memorial service comesafter Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, prompting a 33-hour manhunt that resulted in the capture of suspect Tyler Robinson.
In total, 25 people spoke during the event, with Kirk’s faith and courage appearing as a point of emphasis for many.
During the service, Kirk’s widow said that she forgave the suspected murderer in the case.
“On the Cross, our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,’” said Kirk, who was visibly holding back tears.
“That young man—I forgive him.”
She said Kirk 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 … Charlie wanted to help them. He wanted them to have a home with Turning Point USA, and when he went on to campus, he was looking to show them a better path.”
“My husband Charlie, he wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life.”
Kirk also said that while her husband “died far too early, he was also ready to die.”
“There was nothing that was too hard or too painful or nothing that he felt like he just didn’t wanna do it,” she said. “He left this world without regrets. He did 100 percent of what he could every day.”
During his life, Kirk was outspoken about his Christian faith, and the strength of Kirk’s faith and his bravery were mentioned repeatedly by speakers.
Trump said that Kirk had become a martyr after his assassination.
“On that terrible day, September 10, 2025, our greatest evangelist for American liberty became immortal. He’s a martyr now for American freedom.
“I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk,” Trump said. “And neither, now, will history. Because while Charlie has been reunited with his creator in heaven, his voice on earth will echo through the generations, and his name will live forever in the eternal chronicle of America’s greatest patriots.”
Vice President JD Vance, who considered Kirk a friend, called Kirk “a martyr for the Christian faith.”
Donald Trump Jr., who described Kirkas “a little brother” to him, recounted an instance of Kirk’s bravery.
He referenced a time when the two were at Michigan State University and five minutes before they were supposed to take the stage, “the State Police told us, and I quote, ‘We can no longer guarantee your safety,’ because the left-wing activists … were going crazy.”
According to Trump Jr., Kirk said, “‘No way, we’re going out there anyway.’”
Others described how Kirk built his organization from the ground up after founding the group in 2012.
Tyler Bowyer recounted the early days of Turning Point USA, saying Kirk founded the group in order to combat rising liberal proclivities in the Millennial generation.
Bowyer said he met Kirk in 2014 and the two shared “a vision of what the conservative movement should be.”
He described Kirk as a “grown, 21-year-old man,” who had mail delivered to a detached garage off his parents’ house to assure donors he was not a kid still living with his parents. His organization had its own address: 217 and a half Illinois Street.
“We worked 24/7, he would tell every supporter of ours. Between me and him, we were a team that was never off the clock,” Bowyer said, recalling times they stayed up until after 2:00 a.m. working.
That included “going all over the countrylike a crazy man” to pursue “any and every possible donor who would take a meeting so our ideas and fixes for the conservative movement could help young people once and for all.”
Several high-profile political figures spoke at the funeral, commemorating Kirk’s life and impact.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who worked for TPUSA before her 2022 election to Congress, said “There would be no Congresswoman Luna without Charlie Kirk,” during her eulogy.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised Kirk’s commitment to open conversation, which Kirk thought was the “only way to heal our country,” Kennedy said.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbarddescribed Kirk as “a warrior for truth and for freedom every single day.”
During the event, attendees told The Epoch Times that Kirk’s assassination had ignited “a revival of our faith.”
The congregation gathered in the NFL stadium came from all across the country. Those who spoke to The Epoch Times came from Florida, Colorado, and Pennsylvania.
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.”
Speakers, ranging from Kirk’s widow to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, repeated the same sentiment.
Other attendees, including Florida resident Shirley Ross and Colorado resident Lisa Clark, praised the sense of unity at the event.
“This atmosphere is electric. It’s electric. It’s emotional. You can feel the love, you can feel the unity,” Ross said.
“I’m a grandmother, and I came for my grandchildren, for healing, and the hope for their future,” Clark said.
—Joseph Lord, Ryan Morgan, and TJ Muscaro
BOOKMARKS
In the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, many are starting to raise questions about particular details of the assassination. On Sunday, The Epoch Times’ Jack Phillips reported, FBI Director Kash Patel vowed that the bureau would investigate questions including “the possibility of accomplices, the text message confession and related conversations, … how the weapon was transported,” and others.
In a rare trip to China, a congressional delegation led by Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) on Sunday met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The Epoch Times’ Dorothy Li reported that the contingent of lawmakers is pushing for communication between the two superpowers’ militaries and trade discussions.
Pro-Chinese regime social media influencers and accounts are capitalizing on the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk to attack the United States and sow division, an Epoch Times investigation has uncovered. The Epoch Times’ Peter Svab reported that some influencers have received financial offers in exchange for producing content that serves Beijing’s interests.
According to Trump tech founder Michael Dell, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and his son Lachlan Murdoch are among the American billionaires lined up to take a stake in a U.S. version of TikTok, The Epoch Times’ Catherine Yang reported. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said a deal will be signed “in the coming days.”
If you found this article interesting, please consider supporting traditional journalism
This article was originally published by The Epoch Times: Charlie Honored For His Faith, Courage
