Charlie Kirk will be honored at a public memorial service on Sunday, Sept. 21, in his home state of Arizona. The event is being organized by Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization Kirk cofounded.
“Join us in celebrating the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk, an American legend,” the group said in a post on X.
The 31-year-old conservative activist was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, on Sept. 10. Kirk’s body was transported from Utah to Arizona on Air Force Two the following day. The suspected gunman, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was charged with murder.
“Charlie Kirk’s life was a testament to faith, courage, and conviction,” the message on a website for the memorial reads. “From his earliest days, he believed America was worth fighting for, and he dedicated every moment of his 31 years to that cause.”
When is the public service?
The event will be held at the 63,000-seat State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, just outside of Phoenix. President Trump will speak at the service, which is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. local time, or 2 p.m. ET.
“It’s going to be big,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “I’m going to be at the stadium, and I guess I’ll say a few words. I don’t know, but I guess I will. But I knew him very well. He was an amazing guy. He was all about young people and getting them started.”
Who else is expected to speak?
Turning Point USA announced a speaker list that includes Erika Kirk, Kirk’s widow, who was appointed as the organization’s new chair of the board and chief executive, Vice President JD Vance and other administration officials. Among them:
- Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff
- Marco Rubio, secretary of state
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., health secretary
- Pete Hegseth, defense secretary
- Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff
- Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence
- Sergio Gor, director of the White House personnel office
Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. and Tucker Carlson, the conservative commentator and former Fox News host, are also among the scheduled speakers.
Some of those same Trump administration officials spoke at a memorial service and vigil for Kirk at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Sunday night.
Federal agencies ‘tracking several threats’
According to ABC News, federal law enforcement agencies said they are “tracking several threats of unknown credibility” against people attending the memorial, including Trump, Vance and members of the Kirk family.
“Violent extremists and unaffiliated lone offenders may view the memorial service or related events as attractive attack targets due to the attendance of these individuals,” read a memo issued by agencies including the FBI and Secret Service and cited by ABC.
The network also reported that the Department of Homeland Security has designated the memorial as a “Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 1 event,” meaning it will have “the same level of security as the Super Bowl.”
Earlier this week, Trump told reporters that he felt “an obligation” to attend the memorial for Kirk, one of his most prominent political supporters.
“Whenever it is, I’ll be going,” Trump said Sunday, before details for the service were announced. “They’ve asked me to go, and I think I have an obligation to do that.”
Senate, House pass resolutions honoring Kirk
The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a unanimous resolution declaring Oct. 14 a “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk” on what would have been his 32nd birthday.
The resolution, introduced by Sen. Rick Scott, a Republican from Florida, said Kirk “consistently promoted the values of individual liberty, open debate, the importance of civic engagement, and the defense of constitutional principles.”
On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution condemning Kirk’s killing while praising him as a “courageous American patriot” and a “devoted Christian, who boldly lived out his faith with conviction, courage, and compassion.”
It also “calls upon all Americans — regardless of race, party affiliation, or creed — to reject political violence, recommit to respectful debate, uphold American values, and respect one another as fellow Americans.”
The ceremonial measure passed on a 310-58 vote. More than 90 Democrats, including Democratic House leadership, joined Republicans in supporting it. Fifty-eight Democrats voted against the resolution, while 38 Democrats voted present. Twenty-two did not vote.
