SAEDNEWS: At Charlie Kirk’s memorial in Arizona, Donald Trump called the activist a “martyr” while speakers including Tucker Carlson, Anna Paulina Luna, and Jack Posobiec compared him to Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr, and even Moses — sparking fierce debate about his controversial legacy.
United States President Donald Trump and his supporters turned the memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk into both a political rally and a religious revival. Held at State Farm Stadium in Arizona before a crowd of nearly 70,000, the ceremony was filled with speeches that elevated Kirk to near-mythical status, even as critics outside the arena pointed to his record of racist, misogynistic, and Islamophobic views.
Kirk, the 31-year-old cofounder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated on September 10 during a campus event in Utah. His death has fueled heated debates about political violence, free speech, and the increasingly blurred line between politics and religion in America.
Trump, who delivered the final and most anticipated tribute, described Kirk as “our greatest evangelist for American liberty”.
“On that terrible day, September 10th, our greatest evangelist for American liberty became immortal. He’s a martyr now for American freedom,” Trump told the stadium audience.
Trump’s speech mixed grief with political fire. He called for a return of religion to American life, tying faith directly to his vision of national identity:
“Without borders, law and order and religion, you really don’t have a country anymore.”
He also launched into one of his most combative remarks yet, declaring: “I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them.”
While Trump thundered, Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow and the new CEO of Turning Point USA, struck a different tone.
“I forgive him because it was what Christ did. And it’s what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate.”
She vowed to continue her late husband’s mission, promising to expand TPUSA’s reach:
“Chapters will grow. Thousands of new ones will be created. Turning Point USA Faith will add thousands of new pastors and congregations.”
Among the more emotional tributes came from Rebecca Dunn, an early TPUSA benefactor. Alongside her late husband Bill Dunn, she invested millions in Kirk’s project after testing his determination with early fundraising challenges.
“Charlie felt like a son to me,” Dunn recalled, describing how the young activist’s grit and ambition convinced her to support him.
Florida congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna credited Kirk with launching her political career, but her comparisons raised eyebrows.
She equated Kirk’s legacy with that of George Washington, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
“[Kirk’s] name will stand etched in the history besides the likes of JFK … and Dr King who marched into the jaws of hatred, sacrificing his safety and ultimately his life, to bend the arc of history towards justice.”
Critics noted the irony, given that Kirk himself had criticized MLK during his lifetime, once calling civil rights reforms of the 1960s “destructive.”
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson took the comparisons further, suggesting Kirk’s death mirrored Jesus Christ’s persecution.
He told the crowd:
“A bunch of guys sitting around eating hummus decided to kill Jesus to stop him from telling the truth. Charlie would have loved this — because ultimately, he was a Christian evangelist.”
Far-right influencer Jack Posobiec likened Kirk to Moses, invoking biblical imagery:
“On his last day, Charlie Kirk was on the top of a mountain, and Charlie Kirk led us there, and Charlie Kirk has brought us to the promised land.”
Posobiec, known for promoting extremist conspiracy theories, drew applause from some but also sparked backlash online.
Former Trump adviser Stephen Miller framed Kirk’s assassination as a failed attempt to silence conservative voices:
“You thought you could kill Charlie Kirk? You have made him immortal. We will save this civilization, we will save the West.”
The memorial solidified Kirk’s place as a martyr within conservative circles while underscoring the polarization of American politics. To his supporters, Kirk’s death represents a spiritual battle for the nation’s future. To his detractors, the service’s biblical comparisons were offensive, even absurd.
As Erika Kirk called for forgiveness and Trump demanded religious revival, the service revealed more about America’s fractured identity than about the activist himself.
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