Tears and Politics Intertwine At Charlie Kirk’s Funeral

Amid sombre music, loud applause and pyrotechnics, Erika Kirk walked onto the stage to address thousands present to attend Charlie Kirk’s public memorial in Arizona on Sunday. Dressed in white, she spoke differently from the first time she spoke out after Charlie’s death. 

 "You have no idea the fire that you ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry,” she had said, her words thick with resolution.

However, at the September 21 memorial, she stood behind the lectern and said she forgives her late husband’s assassin.

“My husband, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said “That man, that young man – I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do.”

The stadium rose in applause. 

Hundreds gathered on Sunday evening to honour Charlie’s passing, with placards that read: ‘This is our turning point,’ taking note of Charlie’s nonprofit Turning Point USA, an organisation advocating conservative politics across high school, college and university campuses.

At the memorial service, President Donald Trump said Charlie is “a martyr now for America’s freedom,” acknowledging his contribution in the 2024 electoral victory for the returning President. 

The service was attended by high-profile individuals, including the country’s Vice President J.D. Vance and those integral to the Make America Great Again movement. It also marked a memorable reunion between Trump and his former billionaire friend Elon Musk — who sat beside each other, months after exchanging fiery posts on social media. 

“I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history,” said Trump.

Those who spoke took note of Charlie’s conservative beliefs, from politics to support for heteronormative families. “We’ve got it from here,” said Vance in the memory of Charlie.

The memorial was replete with political and religious rhetoric, with Vance declaring that Charlie is a “martyr for the Christian faith.” The funeral service was also attended by the deputy White House chief of staff, Stephen Miller, who said: “To those trying to incite violence against us, those trying to foment hatred against us, what do you have? You have nothing.”

One of the most striking photos that came out of the event is of the moment the President hugged Erika, who has now taken over Turning Point’s leader.

She said: “I’ll be honest. I told our lawyer, I want the government to decide this. I do not want that man’s blood on my ledger.

“Because when I get to heaven, and Jesus is like, ‘Uh, [an] eye for an eye? Is that how we do it?’ And that keeps me from being in heaven, from being with Charlie?”

Prosecutors stated that Charlie Kirk was killed by a gunman, Tyler Robinson. He was caught after a dragnet investigation, and is now charged with capital murder and may face the death penalty if convicted. Although authorities have not disclosed a clear motive, prosecutors said Robinson’s text messages suggested he was fed up with Charlie’s “hatred.”

Charlie, 31, was a staunch advocate of the First Amendment, which states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

In the wake of far-right activist Charlie’s assassination, dozens of people across the United States have faced termination, suspension, or disciplinary action over social media posts about Charlie and his death, as employers and public officials clamp down on remarks considered “inappropriate.”

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show has also has been cancelled over his comments on Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting.

“Call them out, and hell, call their employer,” Vance had said. “We don’t believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility.”

On his show, Kimmel remarked: “The MAGA gang (is) desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Kimmel went on to criticise Trump’s response — the former president had described Charlie as “like a son” — saying: “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”

Charlie’s assassination has sparked widespread questions about free speech, gun rights and polarized society that runs deep enough for political violence to happen at 2:23 p.m at a college in Utah. Just before a single shot echoed through the premises of the educational institution where Charlie was holding a talk, he was asked, “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”

“Counting or not counting gang violence?” he had responded.

Over 10 days later at his funeral service, people filled the 63,400-seat State Farm Stadium to capacity, with tight security and  bullet-proof glass shielding the speakers. They dressed in red, white and blue, as organizers suggested.