Erika Kirk forgives alleged killer at Charlie Kirk memorial as online chatter fixates on hand gesture
Online debate over a hand sign at the Arizona memorial drew attention away from Erika Kirk's remarks and forgiveness for her husband's alleged killer.
A wave of online posts claimed Erika Kirk flashed a “devil horns” hand gesture at her husband Charlie Kirk’s memorial Sunday in Arizona. Video circulated of Kirk onstage beside President Donald Trump as she offered a tribute to her late husband, triggering accusations that the gesture was satanic. In many posts, critics argued the motion signaled something dark, while others urged viewers to consider the context. Supporters and sign-language advocates quickly noted that the same hand shape is widely used to convey the sign for “I love you” in American Sign Language when the thumb is extended, a distinction many social media users highlighted to counter the misreading.
Supporters and sign-language advocates emphasized that the gesture Erika Kirk used appears to be the ASL sign for “I love you,” not a devil-horns symbol. They pointed out that the gesture is common in everyday life and in religious contexts to express care. Amid the online dispute, Kirk delivered remarks about her husband’s life and legacy and spoke of forgiveness toward Tyler Robinson, the man accused in Charlie Kirk’s death, a moment that drew applause from mourners.
Erika Kirk told the crowd she forgives Robinson, saying, “I forgive him because it’s what Christ did. The answer to hate is not hate,” a line that prompted a sustained show of support from attendees. The memorial unfolded at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with tens of thousands of mourners present. President Trump led the service, joined by Vice President JD Vance and senior Cabinet members, as security around the stadium was described as extraordinarily tight.
Earlier that day, Trump and Elon Musk were seen in Trump's box, sharing a brief moment of civility after a period of public tension between the two. Their relationship has included public disagreements, including a June 2025 exchange on X in which Musk posted — and then deleted — a claim that federal authorities held additional information on Trump in the Jeffrey Epstein files, a move that drew attention to public feuds within the broader political and tech landscape. The service and the surrounding coverage underscore how social-media narratives can quickly diverge from personal grief, even as Erika Kirk’s remarks and forgiveness stood at the center of Charlie Kirk’s memorial.