On a sun-washed Sunday in Glendale, Arizona, the sound of a lone bagpiper unfurled the hymn “Amazing Grace” across State Farm Stadium. Tens of thousands stood as one with their hands clasped, heads bowed, and American flags held close to their chests. What followed felt equal parts worship service and farewell with a sequence of prayers, Scripture, and songs from some of contemporary Christian music’s most beloved voices, including Chris Tomlin performing “Holy Forever” and “How Great Is Our God.” As the notes rose, a hush settled over the expanse of red, white, and blue.
It was a funeral and a memorial, a communal promise to remember Charlie Kirk, the husband, father, and founder of Turning Point USA, who was shot and killed on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. Mourners filled the 63,400-seat stadium and spilled into overflow areas. Organizers had prepared for an ocean of people, and they came from across the country, like a pilgrimage to say goodbye.
Rows of dignitaries, family friends, and Turning Point alumni ringed the stage. President Donald Trump arrived just after noon local time with Vice President JD Vance, the pair taking their seats amid a long ovation that rippled through the stadium like waves. Reporters counted thousands more outside in overflow lines as security tightened and roadblocks funneled the crowds toward the gates.
Vice President JD Vance said Charlie Kirk “exemplified kindness, courage, and a commitment to open debate,” and that he was a “great American leader.”
He continued: “Now our whole administration is here, but not just because we love Charlie as a friend, even though we did, but because we know we wouldn’t be here without him. Charlie built an organization that reshaped the balance of our politics.”
From the podium, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) drew a straight line from Kirk’s campus tours to a wave of young conservatives now seeking office. “If one man can awaken a generation and save a nation, imagine what ten thousand can do,” she said. “We are all Charlie Kirk now, and his legacy has just begun.”
There were personal remembrances from those who worked beside him day after day. Turning Point USA Chief Operating Officer Tyler Bowyer said, “When Charlie turned 21, he didn’t have a home. Turning Point USA was in its first year of raising real money. He was rarely home in Chicago. He lived on a plane and zipped back and forth as Turning Point USA became his life.”
Bowyer said he was the one to convince Kirk to move to Arizona, and that’s where he met Erika, his wife.
“I wanted to hire her. I only had one problem, Charlie Kirk wanted to date her,” Bowyer remembered. “They immediately fell in love, and I lost an employee. But now she’s my boss.”
Sergio Gor, now director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office and a longtime ally, said, “Charlie was more than an activist. Charlie was a modern-day disciple who preached about the greatness of America, not just across our land but around the globe.” He added, “He embodied the MAGA warrior. When the president had an idea, no matter how big it was, Charlie was willing to make it happen.”
Grief and gratitude braided together when Erika Kirk stepped forward. “Charlie and I were united with purpose. His passion was my passion, and now this mission is my mission,” she said. Campus events will continue, Mrs. Kirk promised, saying:
“No assassin will ever stop us from standing up to defend those rights ever because when you stop the conversation, when you stop the dialogue, this is what happens. When we lose the ability and the willingness to communicate, we get violence.”
Facing the stadium and the cameras, Mrs. Kirk said she has forgiven Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating her husband. “That young man, I forgive him,” she said. “The answer to hate is not to hate.”
Erika saw Charlie’s body and said he had the “faintest smile,” which told her that “Charlie didn’t suffer” and that he had no “fear” or “agony” when he died.
The program moved between reminiscence and revival. Commentators who had often shared stages with Kirk took turns describing a friend unafraid of controversy. “To his last moment, he was unafraid. He was not defensive, and there was no hate in his heart,” said Tucker Carlson.
When President Donald Trump took to the podium, he opened with, “Today, America is a nation in grief, a nation in shock, and a nation in mourning.” He added, “On that terrible day, September 10, 2025, our greatest evangelist for American liberty became immortal. He’s a martyr now for American freedom.”
As the service crested, speakers urged the crowd to turn sorrow into action by registering voters, mentoring students, and defending open debate on campus. The closing hymn swelled into Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” and thousands raised phone lights that glittered beneath the stadium roof.
“For Charlie, we will speak the truth every single day,” Vice President JD Vance said. “For Charlie, we will rebuild this United States of America to greatness.”
“I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk, and neither now will history,” Trump said.