In the hot afternoon sun of Phoenix, Arizona, close to 100,000 people packed into the State Farm stadium to pay their respects and say farewell to prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated almost two weeks ago. .Speakers at the service included friends of Kirk, members of the Republican Party, the federal government, the Turning Point USA organization, and Kirk's personal pastor. Among the notable speakers were President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk. .The tone and theme of the ceremony greatly echoed Kirk's evangelical Christian faith, with hymns, prayers, and religious symbolism highlighting the day. .Of all the speeches, the most awaited one was from Trump, who was the last to come on stage. Arriving on stage, serenaded by Lee Greenwood singing, God Bless the USA, Trump praised Kirk for his dedication to the MAGA movement and his ability to communicate his message to a younger audience. .Trump also made reference to the vigil held in Calgary following Kirk's killing, highlighting it as an example of Kirk's global impact. “In the days since Charlie’s death, we’ve seen how his legacy has touched so many millions around the world. In Calgary, Canada, thousands gathered at city hall to sing the American national anthem and raise up posters with the name Charlie Kirk," Trump said to the cheering crowd. .Trump called Kirk a "martyr for American freedom" and stated that he will be remembered as one of America's greatest patriots. “While Charlie has been reunited with his creator in heaven, his voice on earth will echo through the generations," said the President. .However, the most emotional moment of the ceremony came during Erika Kirk's tearful farewell to her late husband. "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 heart ache that I didn’t even know existed. But there was something else too. Even in death, I could see the man that I love," said Kirk about her emotions on the day of her husband's death. .Kirk also highlighted the response to her husband's assassination as an example of the values he preached. She cited the lack of rioting and violence in response to his killing as exactly the type of reaction he would have wanted. “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.”.In that same vein of peace, Kirk took an opportunity to forgive her husband's killer, “That man. That young man. I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did in his. What Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the Gospel is love and always love.” .Kirk, dabbing her tearful eyes with a handkerchief, left the stage to a standing ovation from the assembled mourners, followed by chants of "Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!".At the end of the ceremony, a still wet-eyed Erika Kirk joined President Trump onstage, who embraced her and pointed skywards as America the Beautiful played.
