A memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Arizona today is set to feature President Trump, Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, and more than half a dozen top Trump administration figures addressing an NFL-sized crowd at State Farm Stadium.
Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed as he spoke at an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. A 22-year-old suspect has been charged with aggravated murder.
Kirk’s assassination has rocked the conservative world. A prolific and sometimes controversial speaker, Kirk was known for his college campus events and debates, his role in mobilizing GOP voters and his close ties to the Trump administration.
Where is Charlie Kirk’s memorial service taking place?
The service takes place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, near Phoenix. The stadium, which is home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, can typically seat up to 63,400 people.
Organizers say security will be tight, with “TSA-level screening” expected.
Federal authorities have designated the memorial service as a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 1 event, a senior Department of Homeland Security official said. That designation is used for “significant events with national and/or international importance that require extensive federal interagency support,” like the Super Bowl.
What time is Charlie Kirk’s memorial service?
The service began at 11 a.m. local time in Arizona, or 2 p.m. ET.
Who will speak at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service?
President Trump and Vice President JD Vance are both scheduled to speak, along with the activist’s widow, Erika Kirk, who was named Turning Point USA’s new CEO on Thursday.
Several other administration officials are set to speak, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and key Trump aides Stephen Miller and Sergio Gor.
The president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., is also listed as a speaker, as is right-wing media personality and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Many of the speakers had extensive personal and professional ties with the slain activist.
Kirk was a stalwart supporter of the president starting during his first campaign in 2016, and he remained allied with Mr. Trump after he left office under a cloud of controversy following the Capitol riot in January 2021. In last year’s presidential race, Kirk’s Turning Point USA was widely credited with assisting the Trump campaign with grassroots voter mobilization.
Kirk was also close with Donald Trump Jr. and worked closely with the younger Trump as an aide during the 2016 campaign. “Charlie wasn’t just a friend — he was like a little brother to me,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote on X.
Vance has credited Kirk with introducing him to Donald Trump Jr. ahead of his 2022 Senate campaign, and with advocating “in public and private” for the president to choose Vance as his running mate last year. Kirk’s body was flown from Utah to Arizona on Vance’s jet, Air Force Two.
Kennedy has called Kirk the “primary architect of my unification with President Trump,” referring to the former Democrat’s decision to drop his independent campaign for president last year and publicly endorse Mr. Trump at a Turning Point Action rally.
Several Christian musicians are also listed on the program: Chris Tomlin, Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham, Kari Jobe Carnes and Cody Carnes.
