Charlie Kirk memorial includes messages of faith, politics and forgiveness

President Trump delivered the 40-minute keynote eulogy for Charlie Kirk.

Trump goes after those who responded to Kirk’s death with “sick approval” or joy.

He called critics “major losers” and specifically called out Jimmy Kimmel, who he said had “no talent.”

Trump laid the blame for the attack on anyone who has called out violent speech.

“We have to bring religion back to America,” Trump said. “We want to bring God back into our beautiful USA.”

The marriage of religion, specifically in the form of evangelical Christianity, and government has been an ongoing theme of the night. The U.S. Constitution mandates the separation of church and state.

Trump says Kirk’s legacy has touched millions around the world.

Trump said Kirk didn’t deserve this and said anyone who would make excuses is “out of their mind.”

“That bullet was aimed at every one of us,” he said.

Echoing others, Trump described Kirk as eternal and spoke of people continuing his legacy.

Trump said he would honor Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with a ceremony to be held at the White House in a “very safe” Washington, D.C.

The president touted his deployment of the National Guard in the capital, which is being challenged in court. He also spoke of sending troops to Memphis and then Chicago, falling back on his attacks on Democratic leaders.

“Charlie loved what we were doing,” Trump said.

Trump repeated his refrain that the U.S. is now the hottest country, giving Kirk credit for helping his administration get back into power.

The president also noted that Kirk said he loved his opponents, something Trump disagreed with.

“I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them,” he said. “I can’t stand my opponent.”

He characterized Kirk’s critics as “very bad people” and spoke about identifying them through the Department of Justice.

Like others, Trump said political violence mostly comes from the left, though data does not support that assertion.

“Turning Point USA is going to bigger and better than ever before,” Trump said.

He spoke about Kirk’s efforts on college campuses, attempting to evangelize to students and to convince them of conservative points of view.

Like many before him, Trump called Kirk a martyr, but rather than characterizing Kirk as a martyr to his faith, Trump called him an American martyr.

Trump referenced Kirk’s connection to Chicago, vowing to save the city from crime.

Trump has gone back and forth on sending National Guard troops to Chicago over the objections of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.

Crime in Chicago has decreased in recent years but Trump has continued to characterize the city as extremely dangerous.

While the immigration agency recently stepped up activity in the greater Chicago area, Trump seemed to back off the plan to deploy troops in recent weeks, following a court decision taht deemed an earler deployment in Los Angeles illegal.

President Donald Trump says history won’t forget Charlie Kirk, describing him as a devoted husband, father and son.

“His voice will echo through the generations,” Trump said.

In contrast to Erika Kirk’s message of forgiveness, Trump described Charlie Kirk’s killer as a “radicalized monster.”

Trump described Kirk as living forever thanks to his legacy and called the crowd an “old-time revival.”

“Thank you for coming here from all over the world to honor and celebrate my Charlie,” Erika Kirk began.

“Even in death, I saw the man that I loved,” Kirk said, tearing up slightly as she spoke about a single gray hair that she never told her husband about.

Kirk described support from her friends as she has grappled with the aftermath of her husband’s death. She also welcomed those becoming more spiritual, calling it the most important decision of someone’s life and urging believers to welcome new followers.

Kirk urged people to read the Bible, pray and go to church to break free from the shackles of this world.

“Being a follower of Christ is not easy,” Kirk said. “It’s not supposed to be. While Charlie died far too early, he was also ready to die.”

She said her husband put nothing off and that he loved the world without regrets.

“I will miss him so much,” Kirk said. “The greatest cause in Charlie’s life was trying to revive the American family.”

She urged men watching to embrace true manhood and be strong and courageous for their families, to love their wives and lead them, to love their children and protect them, to be the spiritual head of their home and to be a leader worth following.

Kirk reminded men that their wives are not their rivals but that they are meant to work together.

She also reminded women of their role in the evangelical Christian vision of a marriage, speaking about working with her husband as a team and not keeping score.

Kirk then returned to speaking to men, noting that her husband wanted to save young men who are angry and lack purpose.

“My husband Charlie wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” Kirk said. “I forgive him. That man, that young man, I forgive him.”

Vice President JD Vance called the memorial a revival in celebration of Charlie Kirk and Jesus Christ rather than a funeral.

Vance said Kirk transformed the face of conservatism and changed the course of history.

He noted that Kirk loved history and America enough to be willing to die for it.

Vance described Kirk as willing to speak to anybody in good faith, citing Kirk’s faith in God as a reason for that.

He also gave Kirk credit for the second Trump term, saying the administration was in the White House because of Kirk.

Vance also referred to critics of Kirk as “slandering” him and decried those who he said justified or celebrated Kirk’s death and called those who opposed Kirk’s views hateful.

Like speakers before him, Vance called on the crowd to continue Kirk’s legacy.

“We’ve got it from here,” Vance said as he closed his speech.

“We are here to celebrate the way he lived his life,” Donald Trump Jr. said of Kirk.

He said he believes Kirk saw Jesus ready to welcome him to heaven.

Trump Jr. also spoke of Kirk’s family life, as many have, lauding the courage of Erika Kirk for stepping up to take over as leader of Turning Point USA.

He spoke of Kirk leading the way and speaking without fear in front of opponents.

“Our message of faith, family and country will not be silenced,” Trump Jr. said.

As others have, Trump Jr. painted political violence as a one-sided issue, though there have been incidents of political violence perpetrated against members of both parties.

He led the crowd in a call-and-response, asking if they would surrender or back down in fear, as people yelled “no” in response.

Trump Jr. also lashed out at the media in his speech, shifting his speech from Kirk’s work and faith to the political priorities of the Trump administration.

Robert F. Kennedy spoke of Kirk’s devotion to god, noting that both Christ and Kirk died in their early 30s and suggesting both would change history.

Kennedy praised Kirk’s work and recalled a conversation where he and Kirk discussed the risks of their work.

He said Kirk asked if he was afraid of dying and Kennedy replied that there are things worth more than dying, going on to talk about losing Constitutional rights.

“Sometimes the best we can hope for is that we get to die with our boots on,” Kennedy said.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called Kirk a patriot, conservative, builder, advocate and lover of freedom.

Kirk’s faith has been at the center of speeches along with his politics, with evangelical-style preaching from many of the speakers.

“I like to think we’re all in Charlie’s church,” Hegseth said. “Charlie started a political movement but unleashed a spiritual revival.”

As with others, he spoke of Kirk’s assassination as the work of the devil, framing the event as part of spiritual warfare.

“He died the way he lived, speaking the truth,” Hegseth said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio championed conservative values, hitting the recurring theme of marriage and children.

Declining birth rates are an issue this administration has focused on and something Kirk also spoke about. He encouraged young people, especially women, to forgo higher education in favor of marriage and children.

Rubio said Kirk had not just education but wisdom and spoke about how impactful his work was, despite Kirk only being 31.

“He matters more now than he ever mattered before,” Rubio said.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard honored Kirk and his legacy of his words and his faith.

“He showed respect and compassion for everyone,” Gabbard said.

She said Kirk chose schools as his arena because they are designed to teach people to think but said that conservatives and religious voices are silenced.

“He was winning, so much winning,” Gabbard said. “The forces of darkness and evil were threatened by him and tried to silence them.”

As others have, Gabbard urged people to continue Kirk’s legacy. She also continued the theme of evangelizing during her speech, calling on people to accept God.

Media personality Tucker Carlson called the memorial the most unbelievable thing he had ever seen.

“Whatever happens next in America, I hope it’s in this direction,” Carlson said.

As with many speakers, Carlson drew parallels between Kirk and Jesus Christ, noting that killing Jesus did not silence his message.

He also spoke of “whatever comes next,” urging people to turn to religion and continue Kirk’s work.

“Any attempt to extinguish the light causes it to burn brighter,” Carlson said.

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles began with the sentiment that Charlie Kirk would be looking down on those remembering his work and legacy.

“Charlie didn’t just help, he made the winning difference,” Wiles said of Trump’s 2024 win and support from younger voters.

Like others, Wiles urged supporters to carry on Kirk’s legacy, though she took a less strident tone than previous speakers, focusing on Kirk’s work rather than a fight against ideological opponents.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller began by stating the need to continue Kirk’s work.

“The day that Charlie died, the angels wept,” Miller said. “But those tears have turned to fire in our hearts and that fire burns with a righteous fury that our enemies cannot see or understand.”

Miller continued in the vein of speakers who are merging political and religious language in a call to action, with a focus on fighting against enemies. The urges to continue to fight and the portrayal of opponents as evil come even as other Republican leaders have called for bringing the temperature down in the wake of political violence.

“You have no idea the dragon you have awakened,” Miller said. “You have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilization.”

Miller was also the first speaker to speak from behind bulletproof glass at the podium.

“You thought you killed Charlie Kirk, you have made him immortal,” Miller said.

Sergio Gor spoke of getting a Bible verse from Kirk every morning before recounting stories about his interactions with Kirk.

“If you believe in America, stand up,” Gor told the crowd. “If you believe that Charlie Kirk represented the best of us, stand up.”

The difference between murder and sacrifice is that sacrifice is a gift,” said activist Jack Posobiec.

Posobiec recounted the Bible story of Moses leading people to the promised land and questioned whether the U.S. could endure.

“Charlie died for you,” Posobiec said.

“There would be no Congressman Luna without Charlie Kirk,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.

Luna spoke about Kirk’s faith in America’s youth and how it encouraged her to give up her dream of attending medical school.

She also spoke against Kirk’s fight against “ideological tyranny.”

Luna called on young people to live boldly and rise to the challenge.

“Will you speak truth without fear as Charlie did?” Luna asked. “We are all Charlie Kirk now and his legacy has just begun.”

Continuing the theme of the day, Dr. Ben Carson spoke about changing the culture of the U.S. and criticized Christian churches and leaders of progressive denominations.

“You’ve got to stand up for what you believe in,” Carson said.

Security is high at the public memorial.

Podcaster Benny Johnson opened by calling the memorial a revival.

“You cut down a martyr, his power grows,” Johnson said.

Johnson also gave advice to young people to “save our land,” the advice he said Kirk gave him.

“Center your life on Christ, fall in love, get married and have a million kids and live the American dream,” Johnson said.

Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” thanked fans for supporting the staff in a time of grief.

“That show became a favorite part of Charlie’s daily routine,” Kolvet said, noting Kirk’s busy and at times chaotic schedule.

Kolvet said Kirk read every email sent to the show and noted that Kirk would debate with listeners who disagreed.

“He desperately wanted the best for you and for all of us,” Kolvet said.

Friends of Charlie Kirk shared stories of their interactions with the activist. Mikey McCoy spoke of Kirk grilling him on philosophy before urging him to give up going to college and to work for him instead.

“Charlie was not silenced; his movement is only beginning,” McCoy said. “We won’t cower in fear. We will never surrender.”

McCoy also urged people to get married and have children.

Educator and academic Larry Arnn spoke of challenging Kirk to learn and grow after speaking with him, noting he didn’t expect to hear from Kirk again.

But he said Kirk later mailed him more than 30 certificates of completion from Hillsdale College, a Christian-based school.

He also noted that a scholarship fund has been set up to ensure Kirk’s children will have the chance to a good college.

Arnn said Hillsdale College would also be giving Kirk an honorary degree.

“He’s gone to the Lord, he deserves his reward,” Arnn said.

Rebecca Dunn opened by noting that Kirk was supposed to speak at her husband’s upcoming memorial.

Dunn then began a story about how quickly Kirk raised money to start Turning Point USA chapters in Florida at 20 years old.

She also spoke of how he had given her hope for the future of the country and implored the audience to continue Kirk’s work.

“Charlie fought for freedom with the last breath in his body,” Dunn said.

Following McCoy’s opening, the national anthem was performed by contemporary Christian singer Steve Amerson.

McCoy began speaking about Kirk traveling to South Korea to speak with young Christians there.

“Turning Point is alive and well,” McCoy said, to a standing ovation.

McCoy spoke of Kirk trusting his life to Jesus,

“Charlie looked at politics as an on-ramp to Jesus,” McCoy said.

He then called on those present or around the world to stand and receive the lord if they have not already been saved. McCoy urged people to join “Bible-believing” churches, a reference that is often used by evangelicals who object to the theology of mainline protestant churches.

Department of Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth has arrived at the memorial, one of several high-profile guests expected to attend.