Tears Flow as Wife Erika, Tucker Carlson, Trump, RFK Jr., and More Honor Charlie Kirk
When Tucker Carlson took the stage, his words landed with a weight that could be felt across the stadium. He shared a transformational lesson Charlie had taught him about hate.
Today in Glendale, Arizona, 95,000 people filled State Farm Stadium to honor Charlie Kirk, conservative mega-star and founder of Turning Point USA, who was assassinated on September 10.
The service drew some of the biggest names in America, such as President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, Tucker Carlson, and more — all speaking about his influence, his faith, and the powerful lessons they learned from him.
The first speaker was Kirk’s pastor, Rob McCoy, who shared a story from just two weeks earlier when he and Charlie traveled to Korea to support persecuted Christians and encourage the youth.
Next came Mike McCoy, Rob McCoy’s son, who began working for Charlie Kirk when he was just 18. It was at Turning Point that he met his wife, standing proudly beside him, and the two married a year later.
Now serving as TPUSA’s Chief of Staff, McCoy delivered a direct and emotional message to Kirk’s assassin that shook the stadium.
“Charlie’s assassin thought that he could steal in silence his voice by putting a bullet in his neck. In the words of Søren Kierkegaard, the tyrant dies and his rule is over. The martyr dies, and his rule has just begun.”
McCoy wasn’t done. He closed with words so powerful they brought the crowd to its feet in a standing ovation.
“To everyone here today, live free. True freedom is not found in doing whatever we want, but pursuing Christ in doing what is right.
“In Charlie’s words, get married, have more children than you can afford, build a legacy, pass down your values, pursue the eternal and seek true joy.
“Charlie led by example. It’s not only seen in the incredible wife, Erika Kirk, his two beautiful children, the legacy he built, his values, his love of God and true joy he found in his Savior, Jesus Christ, but in countless people, especially young people like Elizabeth and I, whose very lives are the fruit of Charlie’s example of faithfulness.
“Charlie, it was the honor of my life to serve you as you serve Jesus. And now we will all continue to serve you as we continue to serve Jesus. Thank you so much.
“I love you, Charlie. I can’t wait to see you again. God bless Erika Kirk, CEO and chair of Turning Point USA, the Kirk family, and God bless America!”
*Standing Ovation*
Dr. Ben Carson then took the stage with an unforgettable four-minute tribute.
“Get on board of the REVIVAL that is coming.”
His words carried the weight of wisdom, but it was the ending Bible verse that really left a lasting impact.
“In closing, I want to read a passage from John 12:24, remembering that Charlie was shot at 12:24 pm. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is Christ speaking. Except a corn of wheat fall onto the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.’ And I want to thank Charlie for his sacrifice, because much fruit is going to be realized.”
About midway through, TPUSA released footage from moments before the assassination at Utah Valley University. Charlie was smiling and joyful, right up to his last breath.
The livestream hit more than 600,000 live, concurrent viewers on YouTube, a number I’ve never seen before on the platform. The memorial stream was also streamed on several other platforms, drawing huge numbers.
The demand was so overwhelming that the YouTube stream regularly buffered for users, including me on my gigabit internet.
As McCoy said earlier:
“Charlie’s assassin thought that he could steal in silence his voice by putting a bullet in his neck. In the words of Søren Kierkegaard, the tyrant dies and his rule is over. The martyr dies, and his rule has just begun.”
When Tucker Carlson took the stage, his words landed with a weight that could be felt across the stadium. He shared a transformational lesson Charlie had taught him about hate.
The look on Tucker’s face said everything. Not a single word was wasted.
“Charlie was really saying… the only change that matters when we repent of our sins. We — me — a recognition that the real problem is me and how fallen I am.
“And that was the reason that Charlie was fearless at all times, truly fearless to his last moment. He was unafraid, he was not defensive, and there was no hate in his heart. I know that because I’ve got a little hate compartment in my heart.
“And I would often express that to Charlie about various people. And he would always say, always say, ‘That’s a sad person, that’s a broken person. That’s a person who needs help. That’s a person who needs Jesus.’ He said that in private because he meant it.”
Then came RFK Jr., who became filled with emotion as he recalled an unforgettable conversation with Charlie about death.
The long pause at the 22-second mark in the clip below said it all. You could feel how heavily Kirk’s passing was weighing on him.
JD Vance followed, and his testimony of renewed faith brought the stadium roaring.
“I always felt a little uncomfortable talking about my faith in public. As much as I loved the Lord and as much as it was an important part of my life. I have talked more about Jesus Christ in the past two weeks than I have my entire time in public life.”
We have Charlie Kirk to thank for this.
Vance then delivered some of the most powerful words ever spoken about Charlie Kirk.
“Charlie suffered a terrible fate, my friends. We all know it. We all saw it, but think it is not the worst fate. It is better to face a gunman than to live your life afraid to speak the truth. It is better to be persecuted for your faith than to deny the kingship of Christ. It is better to die a young man in this world than to sell your soul for an easy life with no purpose, no risk, no love, and no truth.”
When Erika Kirk stepped forward, she was welcomed with sparklers—the same kind Charlie once orchestrated for RFK Jr. and President Trump during their unity tour.
It was a fitting tribute and a powerful moment. Erika was overcome with emotion.
In her 27-minute speech, Erika spoke from the depths of her soul as she recalled the day her husband died. But a moving moment followed as she revealed she was comforted by a great mercy from God in Charlie’s final moments.
“On the afternoon of September 10, I arrived at a Utah hospital to do the unthinkable: to look directly at my husband’s murdered body. I saw the wound that ended his life.
…
“I also saw this. I also saw on his lips the faintest smile. And that told me something important. It revealed to me a great mercy from God in this tragedy. When I saw that, it told me Charlie didn’t suffer.”
An unforgettable moment came when Erika Kirk forgave Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson.
“Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.”
“That young man. I forgive him.”
As Eric Daughtery wrote: “If this doesn’t give somebody chills, I don’t know what will.”
Closing out the service was President Trump, who announced he will soon award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.
What truly resonated with the crowd, though, was his retelling of one of Charlie’s final requests about the city where he grew up.
“One of the last things he said to me is, ‘Please, Sir, save Chicago,’” Trump shared.
“We’re going to do that,” he vowed. “We’re going to save Chicago from horrible crime.”
The emotional climax of the Charlie Kirk memorial came when President Trump asked Erika Kirk to join him on stage.
The audience roared as America the Beautiful played throughout the stadium.
The president embraced Erika as she wept for her late husband. It was an incredibly sad but beautiful ending.
Charlie Kirk’s life was cut short at 31 years old, but his impact was immeasurable. From the pastor who stood beside him, to the young people he inspired, to the world leaders who honored him on this stage, the message was clear: Charlie changed lives.
The lessons he leaves us with are simple but profoundly vital — live with courage, speak the truth, put faith and family first, and never compromise your soul for an easy path.
In the days since his passing, the response has been overwhelming. Turning Point USA reported more than 54,000 new student inquiries to join or start chapters within just six days of Charlie’s assassination, a figure that surged past 62,000 by the following week.
At the same time, churches across the country are sharing stories of renewed attendance, with pastors noting that people moved by Charlie’s life and testimony are returning to faith in greater numbers.
His influence hasn’t ended; it’s only growing.
Charlie Kirk will be dearly missed. But even in death, his legacy continues to inspire a movement that shows no signs of slowing.
God bless this man. He will always be remembered.
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NOTE: This article has been updated to include some moments I initially missed, including the unforgettable scene when Erika Kirk forgave Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson.
Refresh this page to see them: https://www.vigilantfox.com/p/tears-flow-as-wife-erika-tucker-carlson
Thank you for sharing Charlie Kirk's memorial service.. This is something I will read again and again. The tribute by all those who cared was very moving. Charlie impacted the people who knew him very deeply. He touched so many lives and made a profound difference. He set an example...and encouraged many young people...to follow in his footsteps.