6 Of The Most Remarkable Moments From Charlie Kirk’s Memorial

Tens of thousands of mourners gathered at the State Farm Arena in Arizona on Sunday to honor the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk after he was assassinated less than two weeks ago.

The inspiring nearly five-hour memorial featured speeches from a number of public figures and officials, including President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk. Here are the most unforgettable moments from the service.

‘I Forgive Him’

Erika Kirk revealed Sunday that she has forgiven the suspected assassin for taking her husbands’s life.

Kirk, through tears, explained that Charlie visited college campuses to help save young men.

“He wanted to save young men. Just like the one who took his life,” Kirk said. “On the cross, our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.’”

“That young man — I forgive him,” she said. “I forgive him because it was what Christ did. And is what Charlie would do.”

‘We Didn’t See Rioting’

Erika Kirk’s impassioned speech also included a nod to the peaceful response following the brutal assassination of her husband. She said her husband’s murder has instead ignited a “revival.”

“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.”

Notably, almost all of the speakers invoked their faith during the service.

Forgiveness From Erika, Justice From Trump

Trump took the stage immediately following Erika to close out the memorial. He marveled at the Kirks’ Christian love for their enemies and joked that he doesn’t “want the best” for wrongdoers.

“[Charlie] did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry,” Trump said. “I am sorry, Erika.”

As Douglass Mackey pointed out on X: “Erika Kirk has forgiven Tyler Robinson for the debt he personally owes to her. The state has not forgiven Tyler Robinson for the debt he owes to society. Nor should it.”

Another X user, Chris, pointed out that while “forgiveness” is Erika’s to give, “Justice is Trump’s and [Gov. Spencer] Cox’s to administer.”

Marco Rubio Preaches the Gospel

During his remarks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio recounted how man was created to enjoy life with God for eternity, but was separated from Him by sin and can only be redeemed through Christ.

“[S]in entered the world and separated us from our Creator, and so God took on the form of a man and came down and lived among us. And He suffered like men. And He died like a man. But on the third day, He rose unlike any mortal man.”

Rubio went on to note how Christ “didn’t rise as a ghost or as a spirit, but as flesh.” Although Jesus “rose to the heaven … He promised He would return.”

“And when He returns — because He took on that death, because he carried that cross — we were freed from the sin that separated us from Him. And when He returns, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and we will all be together, and we are going to have a great reunion there again with Charlie and all the people we love.

Vance: ‘Better to Die a Young Man’ Than to ‘Sell Your Soul’

Vice President J.D. Vance — a dear friend of Charlie’s — proclaimed that “it is better to die a young man in this world than to sell your soul for an easy life with no purpose, no risk, no love, and no truth.”

Charlie’s Savior is Jesus Christ

Christian author Frank Turek was with Kirk the day he was assassinated and described Charlie as “like a son” to him during the memorial service. After recounting the moments following the shooting, Turek shared with the audience that Charlie is now safe in heaven for eternity, not because of what he accomplished on earth, but because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

“Charlie right now is in heaven, not because he was a great husband and father, not because he saved millions of kids out of darkness on college campuses, not because he changed minds and chased votes to save the country, not because he sacrificed himself for his Savior,” Turek said. “Charlie Kirk is in heaven because his Savior sacrificed Himself for Charlie Kirk.”

Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2