President Trump called Kirk "immortal" and speakers called him a "martyr."
Charlie Kirk was remembered as a "martyr" and "warrior" by some of the leading lights of the conservative movement, the Trump administration, friends as well as his grieving widow during a packed memorial service in Arizona Sunday.
As President Trump and others noted, the service felt more like a "revival" rather than a memorial, and Kirk's connection to and efforts for his Christian faith were on full display throughout. Kirk was recalled for the movement among young conservatives that he helped spark, his willingness to debate and his fearlessness in the face of threats.
In a poignant moment, Kirk's widow, Erika said that she forgives her husband's alleged assassin.
Kirk, 31, founded Turning Point USA at age 18 and rose to become one of the most prominent conservative voices in the country. His influence, particularly with young people, helped propel Trump to office. But some of his comments on gun violence, LGBTQ issues, race and more often drew criticism from liberals and others.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Charlie Kirk waged war "not with a weapon" but with a "microphone, his mind and the truth."
He described the conservative activist as a "warrior" who had the "Biblical heart of a soldier."
Hegseth urged those listening to "live worthy of Charlie Kirk's sacrifice."
President Trump and Elon Musk are sitting together now at Charlie Kirk's memorial service, inside the suite where the president and other officials are watching the program from behind bulletproof glass.
Trump and Musk were close allies for the first six months of his second term, with Musk serving as a special government employee and overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency. But the two had a public fallout in June, which included a feud on social media as Musk criticized Trump's sweeping domestic agenda bill.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized Charlie Kirk's intelligence and said he had wisdom that "takes a lifetime to accumulate."
"He made a difference, he mattered," Rubio said.
Rubio added that Kirk had a "tremendous impact on young Americans" and led a movement that was "broader" and "deeper" than just politics.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard reiterated a message heard from several speakers today, which is that Kirk's "voice is now louder than ever."
"Free speech is the foundation of our democratic republic. We must protect it at all costs, because without it, we'll be lost. Charlie knew this. He lived it," Gabbard said.
