Candlelights illuminate a note left at a makeshift memorial for right-wing activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk outside of their headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, on September 20, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AFP
United States President Donald Trump and prominent members of his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement will pay tribute Sunday (September 21, 2025) to conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose killing has marked a signal moment in America’s fraught political atmosphere.
The memorial service for Kirk, whom Mr. Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 U.S. election victory, is expected to draw tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice-President J.D. Vance, senior White House officials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old Trump ally.
Kirk’s assassination at a September 10 appearance on a Utah college campus has set off a fierce debate about violence, decency and free speech in an era of deep political division. The shooting also has stirred fear among some Americans that Mr. Trump is trying to harness outrage over the killing as justification to suppress the voices of his critics and political opponents.
The service will take place at State Farm Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals west of Phoenix, where Kirk’s Turning Point organisation is based. Security is expected to be tight, with a similar level of federal law enforcement presence as for the Super Bowl or other high-profile event.
Comments about Kirk have become a Trump administration target
Mr. Trump has blamed the “radical left” for Kirk’s death and threatened to go after liberal organisations and donors or others whom he feels are maligning or celebrating Kirk’s death.
He criticised House Democrats who voted against a House resolution that praised “the life and legacy” of Kirk, which passed the Republican-controlled House on Friday (September 19).
“Who could vote against that? All (Republicans) were saying was Please condemn the assassination of a human being,’” Trump told reporters. “And (Democrats) said, ‘No, no, we’re not going to do that.’”
Dozens of people, from journalists to teachers, already have lost their jobs as prominent conservative activists and administration officials target comments about Kirk that they deem offensive or celebratory. The retaliation has in turn ignited a debate over the First Amendment as the Trump administration promises retribution against those who air what are seen as disparaging remarks in the wake of Kirk’s death.
ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show off the air indefinitely following backlash from affiliated broadcasters and the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Communications Commission over the comedian’s remarks about Kirk.
The State Department also has warned it would revoke the visas of any foreigners who celebrated Kirk’s assassination.
A 22-year-old Utah man, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with killing Kirk and faces the death penalty if convicted of the most serious charges. Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but prosecutors say Robinson wrote in a text to his partner following the shooting that he “had enough” of Kirk’s hatred.
The Arizona memorial
Arizona is the adopted home state of Kirk, who grew up outside Chicago and founded Turning Point there before moving the organisation to Phoenix. V-P Vance, who has said Kirk’s advocacy was a big reason Mr. Trump picked him to serve as vice-president, transported Kirk’s casket from Utah to Arizona aboard Air Force Two the day after his death, and he later served as a guest host of Kirk’s podcast.
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Scheduled speakers at the service include Mr. Trump, Mr. Vance, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Donald Trump Jr., right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson and White House aides Stephen Miller and Sergio Gor also are slated to speak.
Longtime worship leader Chris Tomlin will provide music, along with other big names in contemporary Christian music, including Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham, and husband-and-wife duo Kari Jobe Carnes and Cody Carnes.
Kirk’s widow, who has been named Turning Point’s new leader, also will speak. Erika Kirk pledged in an emotional speech days after his death that “the movement my husband built will not die.”
Published – September 21, 2025 11:11 am IST
