U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday paid an emotional tribute to slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, calling him “a giant of his generation” during a massive memorial service that drew tens of thousands of mourners and the full weight of the Trump administration.
Speaking inside State Farm Stadium alongside Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk, Trump described the 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder as “a devoted husband, father, son, Christian, and patriot,” declaring that he was “violently killed because he spoke for freedom and justice. For God and country. For reason and for common sense.”
The service, which some U.S. media compared to a state funeral, was marked by heavy security and a fervent mix of Christian revival and political rally.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were among the senior officials who addressed the crowd before Trump’s arrival.
“You thought you could kill Charlie Kirk? You have made him immortal,” top Trump adviser Stephen Miller thundered, pledging to “save this civilization, to save the West.”
Other speakers included right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson, Trump Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, all praising Kirk as a fearless champion of conservative values and a rallying force for America’s political right.
Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA as a teenager and became a driving voice for Christian conservatism, was assassinated 11 days ago during a campus event in Utah, a killing that has shaken the conservative movement and galvanized calls to carry on his mission.
