In a news conference, President Trump stated without citing any evidence that “the violence comes largely from the left,” downplaying political violence from the right. His remarks were sharply partisan, contrasting with the more solemn tone adopted by most other speakers. Even before a suspect was detained, Trump was already blaming the left for the deadly shooting. This messaging reflected the dual nature of Kirk’s memorial, which felt like a mix of a religious revival and a “Make America Great Again” rally.
Organized by Kirk’s conservative youth advocacy organization, Turning Point USA, the memorial drew tens of thousands of mourners dressed in red, white, and blue, filling State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Kirk’s friends and fellow conservatives praised him as an inspirational Christian who founded a political movement they vowed to continue. Some political figures framed Kirk’s death as a pivotal moment for the conservative movement, urging followers to finish his work with aggressive language.
Stephen Miller, a powerful White House advisor, delivered a fiery speech, saying, “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 have no idea the dragon you have awakened. You have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilisation, to save the West, to save the republic.”
Trump and Musk Sit Side-by-Side
At the memorial event for right-wing leader Charlie Kirk on Sunday, Donald Trump sat next to billionaire Elon Musk, a once-trusted advisor with whom the US president had a public falling out.
Trump appeared to be having a friendly chat with Musk, who once led the Republican’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), a controversial initiative that cut thousands of federal jobs when Trump began his second term. The two were seated in the stands of a stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where tens of thousands had gathered to pay tribute to Kirk, who was shot and killed on September 10 at a university campus in Utah.
A video of the two shaking hands was shared by the official White House account on X, the social media platform owned by Musk. Musk had previously donated over $270 million to Trump’s presidential campaign. After the election, he oversaw the launch of the DOGE, a move that eliminated what the agency considered wasteful and fraudulent government jobs. However, Musk later broke with Trump over the White House’s flagship tax and spending bill, which he called “utterly insane and destructive.”
Following the split, Musk announced he would launch his own “America First” party, though little has come of it so far. Musk also posted a photo of himself and Trump at the memorial on his X account with the caption: “For Charlie.”
