Trump to honor Charlie Kirk at Arizona memorial as tens of thousands of young conservatives expected
Trump and Vice President JD Vance are among speakers at State Farm Stadium service; Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was killed Sept. 10 during a tour stop.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to honor Charlie Kirk at a large public memorial Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, as tens of thousands of young conservatives are expected to attend. Kirk, the conservative activist who led Turning Point USA, was assassinated on Sept. 10 during the first stop of the group’s The American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University, according to organizers and law enforcement.
The memorial, titled “Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk,” will begin at 11 a.m. local time (2 p.m. ET) and is to be held at the stadium that houses the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Officials say the service will be first come, first served based on stadium capacity. The venue has fixed seating for 63,400 and can expand to more than 73,000 for larger events. The event is expected to draw senior White House officials as well as a large cross-section of Kirk’s supporters and young conservatives influenced by his organizing.
Turning Point USA, the nonprofit Kirk founded in 2012, released guidelines for attendees that included a patriotic dress code and a strict no-bag policy. The guidelines emphasize security and a respectful tone for the service. The memorial will be broadcast on Fox News Channel and streamed on Fox News Digital, extending reach beyond attendees in Arizona.
In addition to Trump, Vice President JD Vance is listed among the scheduled speakers, along with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump Jr., Tucker Carlson, White House adviser Stephen Miller and Sergio Gor. Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, who has become Turning Point’s chief executive, is also expected to speak. The lineup reflects the organization’s close ties to a broad cohort of conservative voices and public officials.
The service’s organizers have said the event will feature remarks highlighting Kirk’s influence on young conservatives and his work with Turning Point USA, which has built a large network of student activists and volunteer groups across the country. Trump, who has publicly praised Kirk in the past, indicated ahead of the memorial that he would attend to honor the 31-year-old activist and to acknowledge the sense of loss felt within the movement. He described Kirk as someone who mobilized a sizable, energized base of young supporters and said their sorrow was shared widely.
The memorial’s timing comes as questions about security, logistics and the management of a large, spontaneous crowd loom over the Glendale venue. Stadium officials noted the capacity figures and said the event would be managed to accommodate the expected turnout, with the large audience illustrating Kirk’s continuing impact within conservative circles. Organizers and sponsors have stressed that the service is a tribute rather than a political rally, though supporters expect a robust expression of Kirk’s legacy and its implications for youth activism.
Fox News and Fox News Digital will provide coverage of the memorial, with live updates and a stream accessible to viewers nationwide. The funeral-style service is intended to reflect Kirk’s public persona and his role in mobilizing a generation around issues of culture, policy and political participation. While some of the attendees are visible public figures, organizers emphasize the event’s focus on the memory of Kirk and the continuation of his work through Turning Point USA and allied organizations.
The Arizona memorial marks a culmination of the years-long effort by Kirk to expand Turning Point USA’s footprint, including campus chapters, national events and social media campaigns designed to engage younger voters in conservative causes. The tragedy has intensified attention on the organization’s activities and on the broader movement it represents, with many supporters viewing Kirk’s death as a galvanizing moment for youth outreach in American politics.