Whether he was a martyr for the “Christian faith” or “American freedom”, nearly every speaker at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service used that word to describe the late conservative advocate.
Thousands of people — including high-profile members of the US government and US President Donald Trump — gathered in Arizona for Mr Kirk’s memorial service.
It looked like a political rally as well as a religious service. A celebration of Charlie’s life, but also a tussle over its meaning. There were calls for unity, while opponents were, at times, pilloried.
Tyler Bower, Kirk’s friend and employee, said his boss would have been proud of how those different worlds had collided at the memorial. He said Charlie had often mused: “If we could just figure out how to bring the Holy Spirit into a Trump rally.”
From Mr Trump’s wide-ranging speech to a potential reunion between former foes, here are the main takeaways from Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump possibly mend ties
The US president and tech billionaire were once close allies but famously fell out after Musk criticised Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”, with the tech mogul launching attacks on his former boss over what he argued was a disastrous piece of legislation which would push the US towards bankruptcy.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk were seated side-by-side for part of the service. (AP: Ross D Franklin)
Their last public appearance together was more than three months ago, during a media conference to mark Musk’s departure from the White House.
But at the funeral the two were seen warmly greeting each other, shaking hands and sitting side-by-side.
Neither has commented publicly on their reunion, but it could potentially signal a thawing in the relationship between the two billionaires.
Shortly after the service was over, Mr Musk posted a photo of him and Trump sitting side-by-side accompanied by just two words: For Charlie.
A service watched by millions
Charlie Kirk fans, young and old, travelled to Arizona for the service.
An estimated 200,000 people had registered to attend the event in person, local media reports said, and millions more watched the service online.
Attendees told ABC News they were there to honour both Charlie Kirk and God.
Barbara said she attended the service to worship with likeminded people. (ABC News: Carrington Clarke)
Barbara Herzog from Toledo, Ohio, said she believed Mr Kirk had inspired more people to turn to Christianity — in life and in death.
“I know this is going to be the largest [Christian] revival in the history of mankind,” she said.
“I know there are many many people who are going to take up his banner and carry out the mission that God gave him, and God’s giving us the courage to do it.”
Anderson, a 16-year-old from Wisconsin, said seeing Charlie Kirk’s videos on Tik Tok would “brighten his day” whenever they appeared.
“He made such a difference in my life and so many other young lives in America,” he told the ABC.
Anderson said he was grateful to Charlie Kirk for pulling him closer to God. (ABC News: Carrington Clarke)
Another attendee, Jorge, who was born in Mexico but had lived in the United States for 20 years, said he attended to “honour the Lord and honour God through Charlie’s legacy”.
“We have a spiritual battle — the battle is not with people but with Satan,” he told the ABC when asked about his attire: a bright red cap emblazoned with the word WAR, as well as a WAR t-shirt.
“We see people on the other side, not as our enemies, but people who need to know the truth.
“There is a spiritual battle between evil and right. Charlie stood for what was right. This is not about leftism or rightism — this is about what’s wrong and what’s right.”
Jorge said the word “WAR” on his cap was a reference to the “spiritual battle” taking place. (ABC News: Carrington Clarke)
Possible 2028 candidates speak to the crowd
Four of the highest-profile speakers — Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the president’s son Donald Trump Jr, and even conservative commentator Tucker Carlson — had all previously been promoted as potential heirs to Donald Trump.
They gave keynote speeches memorialising Charlie Kirk — a man they knew personally and had been involved with in some way professionally.
Their speeches leant heavily into Christian imagery and themes, praising Kirk for his work promoting conservative values to a younger audience.
“[Kirk] had the largest microphone in the conservative movement,” Mr Trump Jr said.
“Charlie brought the truth that Jesus Christ was King,” Mr Vance said.
Vice-President JD Vance spoke at the service. (AP: John Locher)
Mr Rubio reflected on when he first heard about Charlie Kirk’s mission to promote conservative values at college campuses.
“I said … why don’t you start somewhere easier, like for example, Communist Cuba,” he said to laughter from the crowd.
“But my scepticism was proven wrong,” he continued, saying there had since been a Conservative “Renaissance” across the country.
Tucker Carlson stood out from the crowd. Although he has at times been close to Mr Trump, he has also found himself at times at odds with the president.
Most recently he had attacked signs the Republican party might be weaponising Charlie Kirk’s memory to go after its political opponents.
Again, in his speech today, he made the point that Mr Kirk’s murder should not be used as a pretext for silencing dissent.
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The Christian right has long been a key constituency of the Republican party. And based on today’s speeches, it appeared as if Mr Kirk’s lasting impact could be further cementing its role.
All four speakers said killing Mr Kirk had only made his message resonate more strongly.
“His loss cannot be the end of the story — his legacy must be that when they took his life, a million more Charlies stepped up to fill the void,” Trump Jr said.
Erika Kirk says she forgives Charlie’s killer
Charlie Kirk’s widow Erica Kirk gave the most emotional speech of the day, reflecting both on their life together and the legacy her husband would leave behind.
Even before she took to the stage, she had loomed almost as large as Charlie over the event.
The crowd was moved by Erika Kirk speech. (Reuters: Daniel Cole)
She was referenced throughout speeches and was a key part of the many video montages that had been played out on the large screens which adorned the walls. She received rapturous applause when she first took to the stage and at key moments throughout. Like her late husband, her popularity and fame have greatly expanded in the past two weeks.
She said the secret to their successful marriage was “love notes” they would regularly write to each other. She said Kirk wrote one for her every Saturday, and never missed a week.
Mrs Kirk said Charlie wanted to save the “lost boys of the West” who felt like they had no purpose.
People listen as Erika Kirk speaks at the memorial. (AP: John Locher)
“He wanted to save young men — just like the one who took his life,” she said.
“On the cross our saviour said, ‘Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.’
“That man… that young man… I forgive him.”
She paused at that moment with tears in her eyes, as the crowd stood and applauded.
“I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it’s what Charlie would do,” she continued.
“The answer to hate is not hate … the answer is love and always love. Love for our enemies, and love for those who persecute us.”
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Mrs Kirk also spoke about her plans for Turning Point USA, the conservative advocacy organisation Mr Kirk started in 2012. She said the organisation would add thousands of new pastors and continue to hold the college campus events Mr Kirk was known for.
Trump declares love for Kirk, ‘hate’ for political opponents
After Mrs Kirk’s message of love and forgiveness, Mr Trump went in a different direction.
“He did not hate his opponents, but that is where I disagree with Charlie — I hate my opponents,” he said during his speech.
Donald Trump was the headline speaker at the memorial. (AP: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
He also said he hoped Charlie’s killer would receive “the full and ultimate punishment for his horrific crime”.
Like most speakers, Mr Trump leant heavily into Christian imagery, referring to Kirk both as a “a martyr now for American freedom” and the “greatest evangelist for American liberty”.
“I know I speak for all of us here today when I say none of us will forget Charlie Kirk — and neither now will history,” he said.
“His name will live forever in the eternal chronicle of America’s greatest patriots.”
He also praised Kirk’s work ethic and legacy.
Donald Trump called Erika Kirk back on stage at the conclusion of his speech. (AP: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Mr Trump credited Charlie Kirk for his and other Republicans’ victories in recent elections, thanking him for convincing more young people to vote.
But, in many ways, the US president’s speech differed in tone and content to most of the day’s speakers.
He went on tangents on political themes such as tariffs, the fight against the “radical left” and his crackdown on crime in Washington DC.
He foreshadowed an upcoming announcement about autism, hinting that the government had “found a solution” and it would be “one of the biggest [medical] announcements”.
At the end of his speech, Mr Trump called Mrs Kirk back on stage and embraced her to close out the service.