Tens of thousands of mourners dressed in red, white and blue turned out to honour Charlie Kirk yesterday at a memorial service in Arizona, where his fellow conservatives praised him as an inspirational Christian leader and vowed to carry on with the political movement he started.
President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several cabinet members paid tribute to the charismatic Kirk 11 days after he was assassinated during a campus event in Utah.
The memorial, organised by Kirk’s conservative youth advocacy organisation Turning Point USA, had the feel of a religious revival mixed with a “Make America Great Again” political rally.
Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson credited Kirk with helping him move past an addiction to alcohol to lead a more moral, Christian life.
Like many speakers, he echoed Kirk’s exhortation to young men to get married and have children.
“Did Charlie bring you closer to God?” Johnson asked, drawing a resounding “yes” from the crowd.
Stephen Miller, the powerful White House adviser, vowed to use Kirk’s death as a galvanising force to finish the work he began.
“We will carry Charlie and Erika in our heart every single day, and fight that much harder because of what you did to us,” Miller said. “You have no idea the dragon you have awakened. You have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilisation, to save the West, to save the republic.”
Christian rock music blared through loudspeakers and pictures of Kirk were set on easels throughout the walkways of State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The arena, which normally has a capacity of 63,000, appeared completely full.
Crowds of people, many wearing MAGA merchandise, had arrived before dawn to secure seats inside the stadium, where they encountered metal detectors amid tight security.
Trump has credited Kirk with mobilising young voters behind his campaign last year.
Civil rights groups criticised Kirk for rhetoric they described as racist, anti-immigrant, transphobic and misogynistic, while his backers say he was a defender of conservative values and a champion of free speech.
Other speakers included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, more evidence of Kirk’s political influence.
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