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Year: 2025

Charlie Kirk honored by 90K in one of the largest memorials for a private citizen

Charlie Kirk honored by 90K in one of the largest memorials for a private citizen

Thousands gathered Sunday to pay tribute to Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk, whose memorial service drew one of the largest public turnouts for a private citizen.  The organization told Fox News Digital that approximately 90,000 people attended the service, with roughly 70,000 bringing the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, to capacity.  TRUMP HONORS CHARLIE KIRK’S LEGACY AND DESCRIBES HIM AS A ‘MARTYR FOR AMERICAN FREEDOM’ Another 10,000 people gathered at the nearby Desert Diamond Arena, a designated overflow venue, according to estimates provided by TPUSA. Additionally, another 10,000 people watched Kirk’s memorial service from nearby viewing areas. Taken together, the turnout underscored the event’s extraordinary scale. COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK  Earlier estimates provided by law enforcement officials placed the attendance number around 200,000. Headlined by political heavyweights, conservative media figures and religious leaders, the memorial service ranks as one of the largest public gatherings ever organized for a private citizen.  The service for Kirk was broadcast across every major U.S. television network, according to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung.  ERIKA KIRK FORGIVES HUSBAND’S KILLER AT MEMORIAL SERVICE: ‘IT’S WHAT CHARLIE WOULD DO’ And while memorials take many forms, from intimate ceremonies to massive public gatherings, Kirk’s service highlighted the unique intersection of politics, media and faith that defined his public life. Similar outpourings have marked the deaths of cultural icons before. Elvis Presley’s death in 1977, for instance, drew an estimated 80,000 people to the streets of Memphis for his funeral procession, though only a few hundred were admitted inside.  In June 2016, approximately 14,000 people attended a service for legendary heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali in Louisville, Kentucky. Additionally, thousands more watched virtually via live streams.  In 1968, two massive services were held for Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta, one at Ebenezer Baptist Church and then another at Morehouse College. And an estimated 150,000 people gathered to watch King’s funeral procession travel between the two locations, with more inside each venue.  Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10 during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. The gathering was the first stop on TPUSA’s planned American Comeback Tour.  The charismatic Kirk, known for his signature debates on college campuses, was in the middle of taking open-mic questions from a crowd of thousands before a single shot ended his life. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Kyle Rittenhouse took time off work to grieve killing of Charlie Kirk: ‘Meant a lot to me’

Kyle Rittenhouse took time off work to grieve killing of Charlie Kirk: ‘Meant a lot to me’

EXCLUSIVE: Kyle Rittenhouse spoke with Fox News Digital Sunday about his friendship with Charlie Kirk, a bond that began in 2021, as he attended the conservative activist’s massive memorial service at State Farm Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Rittenhouse — who first connected with Kirk while facing homicide charges that made him a political lightning rod — said he immediately took time off work to grieve the loss of the Turning Point USA founder. “When Charlie was assassinated, I was on my lunch break at work,” Rittenhouse told Fox News Digital Sunday morning. “I just got home to let my dog out. And I went on X, and the first video I saw was my friend being murdered.” PASTOR: CHARLIE KIRK’S GRAPHIC DEATH WAS ‘TRAUMATIC’ AS MANY AMERICANS RECONCILE WITH LOSS Rittenhouse added, “I took the rest of the day off work. I took the rest of the week off of work because Charlie meant a lot to me.” YOUTH LEADERS MOURN ‘THE GODFATHER OF CAMPUS CONSERVATISM’ CHARLIE KIRK FOLLOWING ASSASSINATION Kirk had been one of Rittenhouse’s most vocal supporters. He brought Rittenhouse on “The Charlie Kirk Show” multiple times and featured him at multiple events organized by Turning Point USA.  In December 2021, during Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Kirk told Rittenhouse he was “a hero to millions,” according to the Washington Post. In 2024, Kirk threatened legal action after protesters confronted Rittenhouse during an appearance at the University of Memphis, Newsweek reported. CHARLIE KIRK ANSWERED ‘HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED’ LESS THAN 3 MONTHS BEFORE KILLING Since being acquitted of all charges in the Kenosha, Wisconsin, shootings — where he shot three men during a 2020 Black Lives Matter riot, leaving two dead — Rittenhouse largely has kept a low profile.  Rittenhouse is one of thousands attending the massive memorial service on Sunday for Kirk, who was fatally shot Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The public memorial service included speeches from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Erika Kirk says late husband’s death sparked ‘revival’ at Arizona memorial

Erika Kirk says late husband’s death sparked ‘revival’ at Arizona memorial

Erika Kirk told a stadium packed with mourners in Arizona that her late husband’s death had sparked a “revival” across the country. “Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country. We saw revival,” she told the audience who had gathered Saturday to honor Charlie Kirk, who was tragically murdered on campus at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. “After Charlie’s assassination, we didn’t see violence. We didn’t see rioting. We didn’t see revolution,” she added, during her poignant speech. ERIKA KIRK, AHEAD OF MEMORIAL SERVICE, INSPIRES CHRISTIAN STAFFER TO REMAIN ‘ROOTED IN FAITH’ After a string of other high-profile speakers, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, the mother of two received a standing ovation as soon as she set foot on stage. Erika Kirk even recalled the painful moment at the hospital after seeing that her husband had been shot.  “I saw the wound that ended his life,” she said. “I felt shock. I felt horror and a level of heartache I didn’t even know existed,” she added. But as Charlie Kirk’s death sent shockwaves across the nation and drew condolences from around the world, Erika Kirk insisted the tragedy had stirred a spiritual renewal.  WHITE HOUSE RELEASES VIDEO TRIBUTE TO CHARLIE KIRK “This past week, we saw people open a Bible for the first time in a decade. We saw people pray for the first time since they were children. We saw people go to a church service for the first time in their entire lives,” she said. Erika also urged believers to take responsibility for nurturing this moment. “All of you who are already believers, it is your job to shepherd these people. Do not take that lightly. Water the seed of their faith. Protect it and help it grow,” she said. She closed by honoring Kirk’s dedication. “He left this world without regrets,” she said. “He did 100% of what he could every day. But I want you to know something. Charlie died with incomplete work, but not with unfinished business. And I will miss him.”

Charlie Kirk’s widow recalls Usha Vance’s support in aftermath of his death: ‘Exactly what I needed to hear’

Charlie Kirk’s widow recalls Usha Vance’s support in aftermath of his death: ‘Exactly what I needed to hear’

At Sunday’s memorial service for Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, his widow, Erika Kirk, shared a moment of comfort she received from second lady Usha Vance in the immediate aftermath of his assassination, calling her a “precious woman.” Erika Kirk explained how she had confided in Vance about how she did not know how she could endure the loss of her husband and the father of their two children. Vance offered an analogy about the final 15 minutes of a turbulent airplane ride, when all a parent can think about is getting through to the landing. TRUMP TO HONOR CHARLIE KIRK AT ARIZONA MEMORIAL, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YOUNG CONSERVATIVES EXPECTED TO ATTEND The second lady “told me, you will get through these 15 minutes and the next 15 minutes after that,” Erika Kirk described. “Usha, I don’t think you realized it then, but those words were exactly what I needed to hear.”  Vice President JD Vance also addressed the packed crowd at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, earlier in the evening, delivering a stirring tribute to his close friend. “They tried to silence our dear friend Charlie Kirk,” JD Vance said. “And tonight, we speak with Charlie and for Charlie, louder than ever.” JD VANCE BLAMES KIRK ASSASSINATION ON ‘LEFT-WING POLITICAL RADICALIZATION’ OF SHOOTER The vice president praised Charlie Kirk’s unwavering defense of the family and traditional values as the foundation of a thriving society. “Charlie brought the truth that young people deserve to stake (in) the future, and that they deserve to have a voice,” JD Vance said.  But JD Vance stressed that Charlie Kirk’s true legacy was not just in what he said publicly, but in the life he lived daily.  VANCE SAYS HE OWES ‘SO MUCH’ TO CHARLIE KIRK WHILE GUEST-HOSTING SHOW, PRAISES ‘VISIONARY’ CONSERVATIVE LEADER “Charlie, he did so much more than tell the truth. He lived it,” JD Vance remarked, adding that the conservative activist’s passion for history and ideas gave him a vision for America’s future.  “In this he showed all of us how to carry on after his death,” the vice president concluded. Charlie Kirk was a close confidant of JD Vance’s, both personally and politically. The Turning Point USA founder was considered by JD Vance to have been pivotal in President Donald Trump’s decision to choose him as a running mate in the 2024 election. Following Charlie Kirk’s assassination, JD Vance and Usha Vance accompanied Erika Kirk aboard Air Force Two to return his casket to Arizona. In Salt Lake City, the vice president walked alongside the flag-draped casket of his friend as it was carried across the tarmac. JD Vance also filled in for his “dear friend” on “The Charlie Kirk Show” where he similarly expressed his thoughts about his assassination.

Trump honors Charlie Kirk’s legacy and describes him as a ‘martyr for American freedom’

Trump honors Charlie Kirk’s legacy and describes him as a ‘martyr for American freedom’

President Donald Trump praised Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s legacy Sunday, calling him a “martyr for American freedom.” “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk, and neither will history,” Trump said to the tens of thousands of supporters gathered to celebrate the life of Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK  Trump spoke of Kirk’s passion for mobilizing young conservatives, his unwavering devotion to the country and the movement he leaves behind. The president described Kirk as a “missionary with a noble spirit,” saying the 31-year-old conservative activist played a decisive role in helping him win the 2024 election. “He didn’t deserve this and our country didn’t deserve this,” Trump said, adding that Kirk’s assassination was an attack on American democracy.  Trump has survived two assassination attempts. The president also said he would honor Kirk at the White House by presenting his family with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.  LIVE UPDATES: MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR CHARLIE KIRK Trump’s speech, which also highlighted his administration’s core priorities, followed those of Kirk’s widow, Erika, and several high-ranking members of his administration.  Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard were among some of Trump’s Cabinet that spoke at the memorial service.  At the end of his speech, Trump shared the stage with Erika Kirk and hugged her as “God Bless America” played across the stadium, marking the conclusion of the memorial service.  ERIKA KIRK FORGIVES HUSBAND’S KILLER AT MEMORIAL SERVICE: ‘IT’S WHAT CHARLIE WOULD DO’ Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10 during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. The gathering was the first stop on TPUSA’s planned American Comeback Tour.  The charismatic Kirk, known for his signature debates on college campuses, sat beneath a white tent emblazoned with the slogan “Prove Me Wrong,” taking open-mic questions from a crowd of thousands.  Moments later, a single shot ended his life. In the wake of his death, many Americans have been learning for the first time of the unlikely rise of the young activist who vaulted from obscurity in suburban Illinois to become a defining voice for a generation of conservatives and one of the movement’s most formidable power brokers. ‘THIS IS THE TURNING POINT:’ TPUSA SAYS CAMPUS CHAPTER REQUESTS SURGE AFTER KIRK’S ASSASSINATION At 18, Kirk dropped out of community college to co-found TPUSA. By his mid-20s, he became the youngest speaker at the Republican National Convention in 2016 and a household name in conservative circles. By 31, he commanded a $95 million political empire, galvanized millions of followers online and established a direct line to Trump. His widow, Erika, has vowed to carry on the energetic movement that indisputably reshaped conservative youth politics. TPUSA recently announced she would assume the roles of CEO and chair of the board. Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” said TPUSA has received more than 62,000 requests to establish new campus chapters in the two weeks since Kirk’s assassination — a surge that would add to its existing network of 900 nationwide. “For all the fans of ‘The Charlie Kirk Show,’ we will see you Monday,” Kolvet said during his remarks at the memorial service. “Until then, buckle up — here we go,” he added, vowing to continue Kirk’s mission. Last week, Kolvet told Fox News Digital that he has “personally received hundreds of offers to work” for TPUSA. 

Erika Kirk forgives husband’s killer at memorial service: ‘It’s what Charlie would do’

Erika Kirk forgives husband’s killer at memorial service: ‘It’s what Charlie would do’

Erika Kirk, the widow of slain Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, remembered her husband’s legacy at a memorial for him Sunday — and revealed her thoughts about his alleged assassin.  Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspect charged in Charlie Kirk’s Sept. 10 death, was much like the other young men that Charlie Kirk encountered, Erika Kirk said.  Charlie Kirk “wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said.  “Our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.’ That young man … I forgive him,” Erika Kirk said. “I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it’s what Charlie would do.” MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR ASSASSINATED TURNING POINT USA FOUNDER CHARLIE KIRK DRAWS TRUMP, MAJOR GOP FIGURES Speaking to a crowd at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Erika Kirk thanked the audience for honoring her husband. She began her speech by quoting one of Charlie Kirk’s favorite Bible verses, Isaiah 6:8: “Here I am, Lord. Send me,” and recalled a time that Charlie Kirk repeated it at the end of a conference. “After Charlie finished, I met him backstage and I spoke to him … I said, Charlie, baby, please talk to me next time before you say that statement,” she said.  ERIKA KIRK, AHEAD OF MEMORIAL SERVICE, INSPIRES CHRISTIAN STAFFER TO REMAIN ‘ROOTED IN FAITH’ “Because when you say something like that, there is so much power in that verse … God will take you up on that, and He did.” Charlie Kirk was quickly rushed to a hospital after being shot at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Sept. 10. At his Sunday memorial, Erika Kirk described the moment when she arrived to “do the unthinkable” and see her husband’s corpse. “I look(ed) directly at my husband’s murdered body,” she said. “I saw the wound that ended his life. I felt everything you would expect to feel. I felt shock. I felt horror and a level of heartache that I didn’t even know existed.” “But there was something else too. Even in death, I could see the man that I love. I saw the one single gray hair on the side of his head, which I never told him about,” she laughed. “Now he knows. Sorry, baby, telling you now.”  Erika Kirk added that she sensed “great mercy from God” in her husband’s death when she viewed his body and saw a faint smile. “I also saw on his lips the faintest smile … it told me Charlie didn’t suffer. Even the doctor told me it was something so instant that even if Charlie had been shot in the operating room … nothing could have been done. There was no pain.” Erika Kirk also opened up about their marriage, revealing the private ritual that kept it strong even amid her husband’s constant travel. “Someone once asked me how Charlie and I thought we kept our marriage so strong when he was busy traveling,” she said. “Our little secret: It was love notes. Every Saturday, Charlie wrote one for me, and he never missed a Saturday.” WHO IS ERIKA KIRK?: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE LATE CHARLIE KIRK’S WIDOW FROM THEIR LOVE STORY TO HIS LEGACY “And in every single one of them, he’d tell me what his highlight was for the week, how grateful he was for me and our babies,” she added. “And always at the end, he would always end it with asking the most beautiful question, ‘Please let me know how I can better serve you as a husband.’” Above all, Erika Kirk emphasized her husband’s faith and how he practiced his Christian faith, revealing that he enjoyed journaling to remember important moments in his life. “And one of the things he wrote in his journal was this, ‘Every time you make a decision, it puts a mark on your soul,’” she said.  “To those of you out there who just made that decision, and took the first step toward a spiritual life, I say thank you and welcome.” LIVE UPDATES: MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR CHARLIE KIRK She also emphasized how Charlie Kirk did “100% of what he could every day,” and that he left Earth “without regrets.” “There was nothing that was too hard or too painful or nothing that he just felt like he didn’t want to do,” she said.  “Charlie died with incomplete work, but not with unfinished business,” she said. “And I will miss him. I will miss him so much. Because our marriage and our family were beautiful.” Toward the end of her speech, the widow concluded by saying she was honored to be the new Turning Point USA CEO and that her husband’s mission “is my mission.” “Everything that Turning Point USA built through Charlie’s vision and hard work, we will make ten times greater through the power of his memory,” Erika Kirk said. “No assassin will ever stop us from standing up to defend those rights.”