More than 200,000 mourners gathered for the funeral of assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sunday in Arizona — a five-hour affair at times as fiery as it was somber, as dozens of people spoke steadfastly about carrying on his legacy.
A capacity crowd of people dressed in red, white and blue packed the Arizona Cardinals’ Glendale stadium to hear the slain right-wing influencer’s widow, Erika Kirk, President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and others eulogize the influential Turning Point USA founder.
Live updates have ended, but keep reading for everything to know from Charlie Kirk’s funeral.
Striking image shows Charlie Kirk’s live funeral broadcast taking over TV networks
A striking composite image shared by Trump’s assistant and White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung shows the live broadcast of Charle Kirk’s funeral taking over network television:
Trump brings Erika Kirk back onstage for a hug
“God bless the United States of America,” Trump said to end his remarks.
“Could I please ask Erika to come out?” he added. Charlie Kirk’s widow complied, and the two shared a hug onstage.
She closed her eyes, bowed her head and gave the “I love you” sign in American Sign Language.
“Thank you very much, and may God be with you,” the president finished, as “God Bless America” played in the arena.
‘Major losers’ who celebrated Kirk’s death are ‘screaming fascism’ over Kimmel suspension: Trump
President Trump decried the “major losers” who have publicly celebrated Charlie Kirk’s death.
“You know the names,” he said about celebrities and politicians who have done so. “They’re major losers by the way.
“The same commentators who this week are screaming ‘fascism’ over the cancellation of a late-night host who had no talent and no ratings last week were implying that Charlie Kirk deserved what happened to him,” Trump said to cheers from the crowd, talking of course about ABC’s suspension Wednesday of “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
Erika Kirk pays tribute to her children with jewelry during gut-wrenching eulogy for late husband
Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika wore large, gold statement rings with “M” and “G” spelled in diamonds, in an apparent tribute to the two children she shared with the late conservative activist.
The Kirks have never revealed the names or even shown the faces of their son, 1, and daughter, 3, online — sharing sweet family photos only of their little heads turned away from the camera.
Turning Point USA senior advancement director Stacy Sheridan came under fire earlier in the ceremony after she mentioned both kids by name in her remarks, with many on social media angrily claiming she violated the family’s privacy.
Charlie Kirk was killed ‘for one reason only: he was winning,’ Trump says
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
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.
Charlie Kirk’s last words to Trump: ‘Save Chicago’
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.
‘Great American hero’ Charlie Kirk drew huge crowds in both life and death: Trump
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.”
Trump calls Kirk one of ‘America’s greatest patriots’
“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.”
“He will live for ever in the chronicle of America’s greatest patriots.”
Lee Greenwood sings ‘God Bless the USA’ live as Trump takes stage
President Trump walked on stage with a live performance of “God Bless the USA” from Lee Greenwood himself.
The patriotic song has long been a signature walk-out song for Trump at his rallies.
Trump applauded and looked on as Greenwood song and the crowd cheered.
‘I forgive him,’ Erika Kirk bravely declares of her husband’s accused killer
“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.
She sobbed, gasping, into the microphone, steadying herself by holding the podium with both hands.
The whole stadium applauded her.
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