People from across the globe gathered in Arizona on Sunday to honor the life of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Attendees listened to heartfelt speeches from those closest to him, including his wife, Erika Kirk.
During a memorial event hosted at the Arizona Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium in Glendale, the crowd erupted with applause when Mrs. Kirk shared a powerful message to her late husband’s alleged assassin.
‘I think that she’s built very different, and I think that’s because of Jesus Christ.’
“Charlie passionately wanted to reach and save the lost boys of the West — the young men who feel like they have no direction, no purpose, no faith, and no reason to live. … He wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life,” she stated, referring to suspected assassin Tyler Robinson.
“I forgive him.”
Attendees shared their reactions to her speech with Blaze News after the event concluded.
“She was very humble and courageous when she should be torn and upset. It made me bawl; it made me cry my eyes out that she forgave that young man. And that’s what we need to do — forgive him,” one man stated. “Others that have that kind of hate, we’ve just got to shower them with love moving forward for Charlie’s honor.”
One woman described Mrs. Kirk’s speech as “heartfelt” and “raw.”
“I felt as though I could feel that emotion. Not only through her, but Charlie’s legacy and what’s going to happen for our future, not only for this nation, but for Jesus Christ,” she said. “I feel motivated, and I also feel more [motivated] to pray for this nation.”
RELATED: ‘I forgive him’: Erika Kirk’s powerful message to Charlie’s alleged assassin
Image source: Blaze Media
A woman who attended with her sister stated that Mrs. Kirk’s speech made them feel “empowered.”
“We have also lost our dad, and so we know the pain, and we feel really sympathetic for her,” she stated. “It gave us a newfound strength because Lord knows we were not as strong as she was during that whole time. And I can’t believe for her to have the courage to forgive someone, 11 days after they murdered your husband, is something that I would spend the rest of my life trying to get over.”
“We give her the biggest blessings, encouragement, and we’re so happy to watch her and support her,” she added.
“The amount of strength that it took to actually forgive, I was reflecting on it in my own life,” one man stated after the event. “I give her just the ultimate praise and credit for it.”
“I want to get to a point where I can forgive people for their actions. It’s tough when you know what kind of evil’s really out there,” he added. “I’m really proud of her. I pray for her to have the strength that she needs. I think she has it. I think that she’s built very different, and I think that’s because of Jesus Christ.”
RELATED: ‘Charlie brought the truth’: Vance, RFK Jr., and Trump Jr. honor Charlie Kirk’s fight and passion
Image source: Blaze Media
“I was fighting tears the whole time,” another attendee told Blaze News.
A man who attended the memorial with his wife stated that it feels like a new era in American life.
“It really is a turning point for everybody,” he said. “It’s bringing people back to Christ. That’s what we need in this country.”
BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey reacted to Sunday’s speeches in a post on X.
“There was a big contrast between Erika’s forgiveness speech and [White House Deputy Chief of Staff] Stephen Miller’s ‘destroy our enemies’ speech. Exactly as it should be. It is our job to forgive, not the government’s. Christians give grace; the government wields the sword (Romans 13). We turn the other cheek; the government punishes evil,” Stuckey wrote.
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