Trump used MAGA to rally against political rivals at the Charlie Kirk funeral
President Donald Trump once again blamed the “radical left” for the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, hailing him as a “martyr for American freedom” and promising to continue his work at his memorial service on Sunday.
In contrast to the more solemn tone that most other speakers took, Trump denigrated political violence from the right and frequently turned blatantly partisan when he declared, “The violence comes largely from the left,” without providing any evidence.
Before a suspect was even taken into custody, Trump blamed the gunshot death on the left. His remarks mirrored the dual character of Kirk’s tribute, which felt like a “Make America Great Again” rally and a Christian revival.
Tens of thousands of people in red, white, and blue crowded State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, for the memorial, which was organized by Kirk’s conservative youth advocacy group Turning Point USA.
Kirk was hailed as an inspirational Christian who started a political movement that his friends and fellow conservatives pledged to support.
In her moving eulogy, his wife Erika, who has taken over as director of Turning Point, looked up at the sky and mouthed the words “I love you,” before discussing her late husband’s activism, family, and Christian faith. The Kirks are parents to two small children.
“I want all of you to know, while Charlie died far too early, he was also ready to die,” she continued. “He had no regrets when he passed away. He gave it his all each and every day.
Citing the Bible’s story of Jesus Christ urging his followers to forgive his tormentors while he was hanging on the cross, she also extended forgiveness to the 22-year-old man who is accused of killing Kirk.
She remarked, “My husband Charlie wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” and then she started crying as the audience gave a somber applause.
Using occasionally combative rhetoric, some political heavyweights portrayed Kirk’s passing as a turning point in the conservative movement and urged supporters to complete the work he started.
In a heated address, Stephen Miller, the influential White House adviser, declared, “We will carry Charlie and Erika in our heart every single day, and fight that much harder because of what you did to us.” “You are unaware that you have roused a dragon. You can’t imagine how committed we will be to preserving this civilization, the West, and the republic.
Speaking are the vice president and several cabinet members.
Several well-known Christian rock performers performed at the memorial, which had the atmosphere of a megachurch Sunday service. Some men and women closed their eyes and swayed with their arms in the air while tears streamed down their cheeks as the arena filled with music.
The venue, which can hold 63,000 people usually, seemed to be packed. In order to get seats inside the stadium, crowds of people—many of them dressed in MAGA clothing—arrived before dawn. Under strict security, they were met with metal detectors.
Kirk’s political influence was further demonstrated by the fact that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were among the other speakers.
Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that Kirk’s efforts to rally young people helped elect Trump last year.
“We know we wouldn’t be here without Charlie, which is why our entire administration is here, even though we did love him as a friend,” Vance stated.
Trump’s speech, which frequently attacked the “radical left” and leaned into campaign-style complaints, was the most overtly polarizing. Most speakers focused on commemorating Kirk without placing blame, however others, including Miller, Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, and conservative influencer Jack Posobiec, strayed into politics.
The president once compared his own scorched-earth tactics with Kirk’s advocacy of public debate, saying that Kirk frequently challenged students who held opposing views to “prove me wrong” at campus gatherings.
“He did not hate his opponents,” was Trump’s statement. I disagreed with Charlie on that point. I despise my rivals.
As “America the Beautiful” blared from the stadium speakers after his speech, Trump invited Erika Kirk to the platform, where she gave him a hug.
Increasing Violent Fears
At a Utah campus engagement, Kirk, 31, was shot once and murdered while responding to a question from an audience member. Kirk’s killer is a 22-year-old technical college student from Utah. The motivation is still unknown, and investigators are still looking for it. They have been examining the phrases carved into four shell casings and his purported texts to a pal. According to experts, they might make reference to groups that lean left or right.
Civil rights organizations denounced Kirk’s speech, citing multiple instances they characterized as misogynistic, racist, anti-immigrant, and transphobic. His supporters claim that he was an advocate for free speech and a defender of conservative principles.
His passing has exacerbated partisan divisions and sparked concerns about the rising incidence of political violence in the United States across all ideological spectrums.
Critics’ concerns that Trump plans to use Kirk’s murder to further up his crackdown on his political rivals are unlikely to be allayed by his speech on Sunday.
In her comments, Gabbard linked Kirk’s murder to a historical trend in which “political fanatics” inevitably resort to violence in order to uphold their beliefs.
“They kill and terrorize their opponents, hoping to silence them,” she stated. “But in this evil that we have experienced – that Charlie faced – their flawed ideology is exposed, because by trying to silence Charlie, his voice is now louder than ever.”
Walt Disney’s (DIS.N) opened a new tab last week. After Trump’s director of the Federal Communications Commission threatened the network over remarks Kimmel made regarding Kirk’s death that some conservatives found offensive, the ABC network removed Jimmy Kimmel, host of the new tab late-night talk program, off the air.
