Kirk's memorial signals a deeper embrace of evangelical politics on the right
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President Trump onstage with Erika Kirk at Sunday's memorial service for her husband, Charlie Kirk, in Glendale, Arizona. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Charlie Kirk's memorial service Sunday left little doubt that his Turning Point USA organization would outlive him as a force in conservative politics — but with more attention than ever to a supercharged evangelical Christian message.
Why it matters: The five-hour service, webcast to millions and broadcast at one point by all major networks, was a call to action more than to grief. It canonized the 31-year-old conservative icon as not just a martyr to free speech, but to his faith as well.
- "Charlie Kirk was a prophet," said Kirk's friend Andrew Kolvet, Turning Point USA's spokesperson, and executive producer of "The Charlie Kirk Show."
The big picture: One word was repeated again and again at the memorial — revival. Conservatives believe Kirk's assassination has galvanized and energized the religious right as the political world begins organizing for next year's midterms.
- "He always said to me: 'If we could just figure out how to bring the Holy Spirit into a Trump rally.' Think you've done it," Kirk's close friend and fellow Turning Point exec Tyler Bowyer told the crowd of tens of thousands in a packed Arizona Cardinals' football stadium near Phoenix.
- Church leaders say attendance in the pews was notable across the nation after Kirk was killed on Sept. 10.
- Turning Point, Kirk's organization aimed at recruiting young voters, says it has fielded 54,000 requests for new chapters.
What they're saying: "These past 10 days after Charlie's assassination," said Kirk's wife, Erika Kirk, now his successor as CEO of Turning Point USA, "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."
- Kirk's tearful onstage declaration of forgiveness for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing her husband, contrasted sharply with the politically tinged rhetoric that marked several other speeches.
- White House Deputy Chief of Staff Steven Miller appeared to blame the left as a whole for Kirk's slaying, warning: "They cannot conceive of the army that they have arisen in all of us! .... Millions will carry on his legacy. And we will devote the rest of our lives to finishing the causes for which Charlie gave his last measure of devotion."
- President Trump was more sardonic, drawing laughs by joking that Kirk "didn't 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."
Between the lines: Trump has long enjoyed strong evangelical support, despite his more secular personal brand as a New York City real estate mogul and reality TV star.
- The president's speech was more religious than usual, but not as faith-focused as that of Vice President Vance, a particularly close friend of Kirk's.
- "I have talked more about Jesus Christ in the past two weeks than I have my entire time in public life," Vance said. "And that is an undeniable legacy of the great Charlie Kirk."
- Other prominent MAGA speakers included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and conservative influencers, including Tucker Carlson.
The scene: Known for large, energetic events with high-production values and even pyrotechnics, Turning Point made sure the service for its slain founder reflected that. People in various sections of the stadium waved signs in American flag colors bearing Biblical quotes.
- Around 95,000 people filled the stadium and an overflow arena, with countless more outside, Turning Point said.
- That would have made Sunday's service even larger than the 1998 funeral for the state's conservative icon, Sen. Barry Goldwater, or the 2018 service for another Republican, Sen. John McCain.
Reality check: Politics these days are volatile and unpredictable. Major events in the short term don't guarantee they'll notably influence an election 13 months later.
- After Kirk was killed, a fractious debate over supporting Israel threatened to disrupt his organization.
Behind the scenes: Kirk had been performing a delicate balancing act, appeasing his pro-Israel donors while trying to give voice to younger conservatives who have become less supportive of the longtime U.S. ally amid the brutal war in Gaza.
- Kirk's pastor, Rob McCoy, set the tone for the service by making clear what he believed the slain conservative's legacy should be.
- "Charlie looked at politics as an on-ramp to Jesus," he said.
- And in a nod to Turning Points' tech-based organizing, McCoy asked the crowd to scan a QR code on the stadium's giant screens, adding, "We are going to give you everything you need to walk this walk."
