Crockett slams white colleagues over Kirk memorial vote as Trump attends service

Firebrand Democrat Jasmine Crockett slammed white colleagues on the left for not voting against a Congressional resolution honoring Charlie Kirk, as his memorial service began Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. The Texas congresswoman spoke during an appearance opposite CNN's Dana Bash, who had spoken to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer just beforehand, and she used the moment to condemn the vote and Kirk’s legacy.

"For the most part, the only people who voted 'No' were people of color because the rhetoric that Charlie Kirk continuously put out there was rhetoric that specifically targeted people of color," Crockett said. She added that it was "unfortunate" that fellow colleagues "could not see how harmful his rhetoric was, specifically to us." Crockett also noted that "just a month before he died, Kirk was talking negatively" about her on his podcast, and she questioned whether she could honor someone who had publicly criticized her. "So if there was anyway that I was going to honor somebody who decided that they were just going to negatively talk about me and proclaim that I was somehow involved in the great white replacement, yeah I'm not honoring that kind of stuff, especially as a civil rights attorney and understanding how I got to congress."

The remarks came hours before Kirk’s memorial service, which drew a high-profile crowd to the 60,000-seat State Farm Stadium. Speakers included Kirk’s widow Erika, former President Donald Trump and other MAGA figures, with the event underscoring the enduring influence of Kirk’s conservative activism among the movement’s ranks.

Trump delivered a 45-minute speech in which he walked back remarks by Erika Kirk about forgiving Kirk’s killer. He told the audience that while Kirk "did not hate his opponents" and "wanted the best for them," he personally disagreed with that sentiment, saying, "I hate my opponent, and I don't want the best for them." "I'm sorry. I am sorry. Erika, but now Erika can talk to me, and the whole group, and maybe they can convince me that that's not right, but I can't stand my opponent." The former president’s remarks highlighted the tension between forgiveness rhetoric and aggressive political ferocity that characterized much of Kirk’s public persona.

Erika Kirk spoke publicly for the first time since her husband’s death, recounting the moment she learned of the shooting and detailing her decision not to seek the death penalty for the accused killer. She told The New York Times that she did not want the government to decide what happens to Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspect arrested after Kirk was fatally shot during the first stop of Turning Point USA’s American Comeback Tour. "I've had people ask, 'Do you feel anger toward this man? Like, do you want to seek the death penalty?' I’ll be honest. I told our lawyer, I want the government to decide what happens to Robinson," Erika Kirk said. She explained that her faith influenced her stance and that she did not want anything to cloud her readiness for heaven. "I do not want that man’s blood on my ledger. Because when I get to heaven, and Jesus is like: 'Eye for an eye? Is that how we do it?' And that keeps me from being in heaven, from being with Charlie?" she added.

Erika Kirk described the moments surrounding the shooting in Arizona and the days that followed. She said she learned of the news while traveling with Kirk’s team and almost joined him on the trip to Utah before a family emergency kept her behind. Upon arriving at the hospital, she spoke with a sheriff who advised against seeing Kirk’s body due to the extent of injuries, but she insisted on viewing him one last time. She recalled Charlie’s eyes and his calm, nearly Mona Lisa-like half-smile in death, describing the moment as a private comfort amid the tragedy.

The memorial service itself, attended by a cross-section of Kirk’s supporters and fellow conservatives, underscored the political resonance of Kirk’s legacy in American public life. The suspect, Robinson, was arrested two days after the shooting, which occurred on the first stop of Turning Point USA’s tour, and law enforcement said the case remains under investigation. Churchgoing and civil rights perspectives lauded by Crockett in her remarks contrasted with the celebratory, sometimes combative tone of the memorial and the surrounding media spotlight.

The clash between Crockett’s critique of Kirk’s rhetoric and the event’s Conservative-leaning celebration illustrates the ongoing tensions within U.S. politics over how public figures are remembered and how their legacies influence contemporary party discourse. As the country continues to grapple with questions of rhetoric, race, and accountability, the Kirk memorial week served as a focal point for renewed discussion about the boundaries of political speech and the responsibilities of lawmakers when evaluating the legacies of controversial public figures.