Charlie Kirk memorial updates: 'I forgive him,' Erika Kirk says of alleged shooter
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.
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President Trump seated inside stadium behind bulletproof glass
President Trump is now seated inside State Farm Stadium. The president is sitting in a suite behind bulletproof glass with Eric Trump, White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
Many members of Trump's Cabinet are seated in the front row.
Margo Martin, special assistant to the president, posted a photograph to X of Trump watching the service.
Activist Jack Posobiec: 'Are you ready to fight back?'
Political activist Jack Posobiec, in a powerful speech at Charlie Kirk's memorial, urged Americans to "fight back" after Kirk's death.
"For Charlie, we will continue the mission. We will end the evil disease that split us and took Charlie from us. For Charlie, Turning Point USA will last forever," Posobiec said.
Posobiec said Kirk's death was a "sacrifice" and that he will "live forever" for "all future generations of Americans."
"A century from now when they write of the two pivotal moments that led to the saving of Western civilization, they will write that the sacrifice of Charles James Kirk was the turning point," Posobiec said.
Florida congresswoman likens Kirk to Washington, JFK, MLK
Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna spoke about how Kirk and his movement helped her get to Congress.
"We are all Charlie Kirk now, and his legacy has just begun," Luna said. She compared Kirk to George Washington, John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.
'Much fruit is going to be realized' after Kirk's 'sacrifice,' Ben Carson says
Dr. Ben Carson, the former U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development, thanked Charlie Kirk "for his sacrifice," saying that after the conservative activist's death, "much fruit is going to be realized."
Carson, who urged the youth of the nation to "stand up for what you believe in," received a standing ovation after his remarks at Kirk's memorial service.