Tens of thousands convened at State Farm Stadium in Arizona on Sunday for the funeral of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, who was killed on September 10. President Donald Trump and other senior administration officials were expected to deliver tributes.
The stadium is situated in a Phoenix suburb, the base for Kirk’s influential right-wing organization, Turning Point USA. Vice President J.D. Vance, five cabinet members, and numerous prominent national conservative figures were slated to attend the memorial.
President Trump described the service as an occasion to “celebrate the life of a great man.”
As he departed the White House for the service, Trump stated, “We want to look at it as a time of healing.” He added, “That something like this could have happened is not even believable so we will have a very interesting day, a very tough day.”
Trump had previously credited Kirk and his engagement with young people for his 2024 re-election to a second term, and the president had referred to the 31-year-old father of two as a friend.
In response to Kirk’s killing, the Trump Administration has pledged a crackdown on left-wing groups, sparking discussions on political violence and free speech.
State Farm Stadium, home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, holds a capacity of 63,000 people, expandable to over 73,000 for larger events. The nearby Desert Diamond Arena was prepared to host overflow attendees, with a capacity of 19,000. Turning Point USA announced that 200,000 individuals had registered for the memorial via their website.
In addition to Trump, speakers included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., and Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host who has recently diverged from Trump on several foreign policy matters.
Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk, who has been vocal following her husband’s death and is designated to assume leadership of his Turning Point brand, was also scheduled to speak.
Before the memorial commenced, stadium seats were adorned with posters featuring the biblical verse Isaiah 6:8 (“Here I am, Lord, send me!”) and a portrait of Kirk, along with a “We Are Charlie Kirk” bracelet for each seat. Christian music filled the stadium as attendees began to take their places.
