Trump departs for Charlie Kirk memorial, hails the conservative activist as ‘great man’, calls event a ‘time of healing’

President Donald Trump flew to Arizona on Sunday to attend the public memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. Before boarding Air Force One, Trump praised Kirk as a “great man” and said the event should be viewed as a unifying moment.

“We can celebrate the life of a great man today, really a great man,” Trump told reporters. “We want to look at it as a time of healing … that something like this could have happened is not even believable.”

Asked what message he would give Kirk’s family, Trump said: “Well, I’m going to just give them my love. There’s nothing like you can say. You talk about the great things he’s done. He did a tremendous job, and he had a hold on youth because they loved him. They respected him.”

Vance recalls carrying Kirk’s casket

Vice President JD Vance also paid tribute, sharing an emotional video on X showing the moment he helped carry Kirk’s casket onto Air Force Two following his death earlier this month.

“Last week, we brought my dear friend Charlie Kirk home one last time,” Vance wrote. “Today, we return to Arizona to remember Charlie and honor his sacrifice.”

The clip showed Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, alongside family and friends as the activist’s body was flown back to Phoenix. Vance described Kirk as a “visionary” and a “luminary” who built “a whole social network for an entire generation of young people.”

“May he eternally rest in peace, and may God watch over Erika and their beautiful children,” he added.

Massive turnout expected

More than 100,000 people are expected to attend the memorial, with stadium doors opening at 8 a.m. local time. By early morning, crowds were already swelling outside the 63,400-seat venue, forcing organizers to prepare overflow seating at the nearby Desert Diamond Arena.

The Department of Homeland Security has assigned the gathering a Special Event Assessment Rating Level 1, placing it on par with the Super Bowl or a presidential inauguration in terms of security.

Speakers lineup

Alongside Trump and Vance, the memorial will feature speeches from:

Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk and new head of Turning Point USA

Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff

Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services

Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence

Tucker Carlson, commentator and former Fox News host

Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff

Sergio Gor, U.S. Special Envoy for South and Central Asia

Shock and political fallout

Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on September 10 during a campus event in Utah. The killing shocked both Republicans and Democrats. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated murder and related offenses.

Since his death, Trump allies have taken an increasingly hard line, vowing to crack down on groups seen as celebrating Kirk’s killing. Vance endorsed a mass “doxing” campaign against perceived offenders, while critics such as late-night host Jimmy Kimmel faced professional consequences, including the suspension of his show.