Trump Calls Charlie Kirk One of ‘America’s Greatest Patriots,’ ‘Brightest Lights of Our Time’ in Impassioned Speech at Kirk Memorial

“Today America is a nation in grief and a nation in shock, and a nation in mourning,” President Trump said, calling Charlie Kirk “One of the brightest lights of our time.”

“He died what was right for our nation,” Trump said. “Our greatest evangelist for liberty became immortal.”

Massive Crowds Amass For Charlie Kirk, Tens of Thousands Before 4 AM

HOLY CRAP! Practically EVERY MEMBER of President Trump’s cabinet is in the front row at Charlie Kirk’s memorial

Hegseth, Rubio, Bondi, Duffy, McMahon, RFK Jr, and more

Incredible! pic.twitter.com/Kw7C6Z8HnZ

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 21, 2025

For Charlie pic.twitter.com/8092jIt319

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 21, 2025

“Today America is a nation in grief and a nation in shock, and a nation in mourning,” President Trump said, calling Charlie Kirk “One of the brightest lights of our time.”

“He died what was right for our nation,” Trump said. “Our greatest evangelist for liberty became immortal.”
“He’s a martyr now,” the president added. “None of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk. And neither now will history.”

Charlie Kirk was killed “for one reason, and for one reason only: he was winning,” Trump said.

“He was winning on college campuses” when he took his “Prove Me Wrong” pop-up tents to liberal “or as they like to call them, ‘progressive’” schools for open debate, Trump recalled.

Trump describes moment he heard about Kirk’s killing

By Alex Oliveira, NY Post

Trump was meeting with the nation’s “biggest people” when he heard about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

“I was in the midst of a very important conversation,” Trump said.

Despite the guest’s VIP status, the president says he told them, “You have to leave now. Right now. You have to leave.”

“It was like a surreal experience. Terrible, terrible,” Trump said.

Charlie Kirk would call Trump to come to an event on short notice: ‘And sometimes I would do it!’

President Trump just told a funny and illuminating story about Charlie Kirk — who he says more than once would call him up to ask if he’d come to an event with less than a day’s notice.

“And sometimes I would do it!” Trump declared, noting just how much of an influence the evangelical activist had, even over the president of the United States.

The last thing Charlie Kirk said to President Trump was a request that the White House send the National Guard to Chicago.

“Please sir, save Chicago,” Trump said Kirk told him.

“We’re gonna do that, we’re gonna save Chicago from horrible crime,” Trump said, referencing plans to send federal troops to the Windy City that he’s been talking about for weeks.

President Trump pointed out how Kirk was able to draw enormous crowds in both life and death.

“This is like an old-time revival, isn’t it?” Trump said.

“He could always draw a big crowd — look at this today, look what’s gone on. This is a big crowd,” Trump added, listing off the leading names in US government who came out to pay their respects to Kirk.

Dozens of people have taken the mic at the service that’s in its fifth hour.

“Charlie Kirk loved America with everything he had. And as we can see so clearly today, America loved Charlie Kirk,” Trump said.

“A great American hero, that’s what he is.”

“He will live for ever in the chronicle of America’s greatest patriots.”

Charlie’s wife, Erika, was

MRS. KIRK: “After Charlie’s assassination, we didn’t see violence. We didn’t see rioting. We didn’t see revolution. Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country, we saw revival!” pic.twitter.com/8ieV9mGZFB

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 21, 2025

‘I forgive him,’ Erika Kirk bravely declares of her husband’s accused killer

By Kaydi Pelletier, NY Post

“He wanted to save young men — just like the one who took his life,” Charlie Kirk’s widow just said.

“I forgive him,” Erika Kirk declared of his accused killer, without saying Tyler Robinson’s name.
Erika Kirk said she forgives her husband’s alleged killer.Erika Kirk said she forgives her husband’s alleged killer. Getty Images

She sobbed, gasping, into the microphone, steadying herself by holding the podium with both hands.

The whole stadium applauded her.

Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika stuns crowd, saying he ‘was ready to die’

In a stunning moment, Erika Kirk proclaimed that her activist husband “was ready to die” — and explained what she meant.

“There was nothing he was putting off,” the widow said.

“There was nothing that was too hard or too painful. … Charlie died with incomplete work, but nothing that was unfinished business,” she said to roaring applause.

Erika Kirk gives impassioned tribute at husband’s packed remembrance service

By Chris Nesi, NY Post

Erika Kirk, the widow of late conservative influencer and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, brought the house down at State Farm Stadium at a packed remembrance ceremony honoring his legacy.

Wearing all white, and choking back tears as she slowly approached the podium on stage to raucous applause, she told the crowd of more than 70,000, “God bless all of you for coming here from all over the world to honor and celebrate my Charlie.”

Erika Kirk eulogizing her late husband Charlie Kirk at his funeral service.Erika Kirk eulogizing her late husband Charlie Kirk at his funeral service. Getty Images

“When you say ‘here I am, lord, use me,’ God will take you up on that. And he did with Charlie,” she said, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.

“Eleven days ago, God accepted that total surrender from my husband and then called him to his side,” she continued.

“On the afternoon of Sept. 10, I arrived at a Utah hospital to do the unthinkable: To look directly at my husband’s murdered body. I saw the wound that ended his life, I felt everything you would expect to feel. I felt shock, I felt horror and a level of heartache that I didn’t even know existed,” she said mournfully.

“But there was something else, too. Even in death I could see the man that I love. I could see the single gray hair on the side of his head, which I never told him about — now he knows, sorry baby.”

She said she saw on his lips “the faintest smile,” which she said “revealed a great mercy from God in this tragedy,” and said at that moment she realized he hadn’t suffered.

Erika Kirk takes stage at husband’s funeral, holding back tears and mouthing ‘I love you’

By Kaydi Pelletier, NY Post

Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, stepped onto the stage to deliver her husband’s eulogy, stepping up to the podium slowly, taking a moment to take in the incredible scene of a packed arena mourning her husband.

She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, looking up in an effort to blink back tears.

Erika Kirk wiping away tears during her emotional speech.Erika Kirk wiping away tears during her emotional speech. AFP via Getty Images
Kirk looked towards the ceiling to fight back tears.Kirk looked towards the ceiling to fight back tears. REUTERS

The newly appointed Turning Point USA CEO could be seen mouthing the words “I love you.”

VP JD Vance addresses crowd from behind bullet-proof glass, says Charlie Kirk ‘was murdered for speaking the truth’

By Alex Oliveira, NY Post

Vice President Vance is speaking from behind a shield of bullet-proof glass at Charlie Kirk’s funeral.

“He was murdered for speaking the truth,” Vance said, calling Kirk a “friend” who wouldn’t let “evil” get the better of his beliefs.

“It is better to face a gunman than live your life afraid to face the truth,” Vance said.

Finishing his remarks, the vice president spoke straight to his longtime pal.

“I love you, my friend, we’ve got it from here,” he pledged.

Elon Musk reunites with President Trump at Charlie Kirk funeral service, spotted shaking hands

By Zoe Hussain, NY Post

President Donald Trump and tech tycoon Elon Musk were spotted sitting together at the funeral service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk — marking their first public interaction since their bitter fallout earlier this year.

Musk, 54, was first seen alone in the stands at State Farm Stadium, where some 78,000 mourners gathered to honor the slain Turning Point USA Founder.

Footage posted later to social media showed Trump and Musk seated beside each other in the stands, talking and exchanging an earnest handshake.

The interaction comes months after Musk departed from his role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

His exit followed public criticism of Trump’s sweeping “Big Beautiful Bill,” which the Tesla founder claimed undercut his budget-slashing efforts.