Leading figures from the Trump Administration and his MAGA movement joined tens of thousands to pay tribute to right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at his funeral on Sunday.
Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was killed at a Utah university speaking event on Sept. 10. The funeral service featured heartfelt eulogies, but also at times resembled a political rally.
The memorial featured speeches from figures from across the right, including President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Read More: The Killing of Charlie Kirk and the Political Violence Haunting America
Also present were Trump’s former head of the Department of Government Efficiency and billionaire tech executive Elon Musk, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, as well as Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr.
Kirk, the founder of the youth conservative movement Turning Point USA, led a deeply political life, so many of the tributes to his life were also political.
In the aftermath of his killing, many on the right, including the President, have responded by promising a crackdown on the left, igniting debates on political violence and free speech.
Here’s what we learned during the memorial.
Stephen Miller’s fiery speech
White House aide Stephen Miller, an architect for many of Trump’s most controversial policies, gave a fiery speech at Kirk’s funeral in which he addressed his “enemies,” warning his political opponents that Kirk’s legacy had been “immortalized” and that they would not be able to comprehend “our strength” as a movement. These enemies, he argued, are “trying to foment hatred against us.”
“You have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilization, to save the West, to save this republic, because our children are strong, and our grandchildren will be strong, and our children’s children’s children will be strong,” Miller said. “And what will you leave behind? Nothing. Nothing to our enemies. You have nothing to give. You have nothing to offer. You have nothing to share but bitterness.”
Although the suspect in the shooting, Tyler Robinson, is believed to have worked alone and has since been charged with capital murder, Miller’s language seemed to conflate Robinson with the wider political left in the United States. It is still unclear what Robinson’s motive was, and no links have been found between the 22-year-old and left-wing extremist groups.
Read More: Tyler Robinson, Suspect in Charlie Kirk Killing, Left Messages With No Motive
Still, Miller’s speech consisted of a clear us-versus-them mentality, with the right on the side of “humanity.”
“We are the ones who create. We are the ones who lift up humanity.”
Trump’s anger
Trump remembered Kirk, whom he counted as a friend and said contributed heavily to his 2024 re-election win, as a “martyr” during his speech in Arizona. Centering on political division, Trump said that he differed greatly from Kirk in how he treats his political enemies.
“[Kirk] did not hate his opponents; he wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagree with Charlie. I hate my opponent,” Trump said. “And I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Erika. But now maybe Erika can talk to me and the whole group, and maybe they can convince me that that’s not right. But I can’t stand my opponent.”
Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s wife, spoke directly before Trump and struck a different tone than the President, stating that she forgives Robinson, and centering her and her husband’s faith and religion. Trump, though, focused on the politics of the moment.
Figures from the right brought together
Kirk’s memorial in the football stadium near Phoenix brought together not only tens of thousands of mourners, but also several prominent Republicans who had had public disagreements in the first year of Trump’s second term.
Musk and Trump sat next to each other during part of the ceremony, shaking hands and speaking to each other. This comes after the President and tech billionaire had a bitter falling out earlier this year over Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and questions over his Administration’s handling of the Epstein files.
After the memorial ended, Musk posted a picture of himself and Trump together with the caption “For Charlie” to his X account. Soon after, the official White House X account posted something similar.
Earlier, the executive producer of Kirk’s podcast, Andrew Kolvet, also posted a picture of the two leaders together on X. “Charlie so badly wanted these two men to come back together. I hope they’re saying to each other,” he wrote.
Trump and Musk were not the only political rivals who shared time at the memorial.
Also speaking was former Fox News host and current right-wing podcast host Carlson, who has been critical of the Trump Administration, especially during Trump’s handling of the Israel-Iran conflict earlier this year, and the President’s bombing of several nuclear facilities in Iran.
“Who are the warmongers?” Carlson asked on his podcast in June. “They would include anyone who’s calling Donald Trump today to demand air strikes and other direct U.S. military involvement in a war with Iran.”
Though Trump later said that Carlson had called to apologize, the conservative host also went viral for his row with Ted Cruz over the topic, after he grilled the Texas Senator over his knowledge of Iran and the region. Cruz was present at Kirk’s memorial as well.
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