Erika Kirk Delivers Emotional Eulogy at Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service
Erika Kirk, wife of the late conservative speaker and activist Charlie Kirk, delivered a deeply moving eulogy during his public memorial service on September 21, touching the hearts of thousands in attendance.
The memorial, held just 11 days after Charlie Kirk was tragically killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University, became a national moment of mourning and reflection. Erika, a former Miss Arizona USA and devoted mother of two, stood before a packed stadium to honor the man she called her husband, partner, and inspiration.
“The Cries of This Widow Will Echo Around the World”
In one of the most stirring moments of the service, Erika Kirk declared her unwavering commitment to continue her husband’s mission:
“No one will ever forget my husband’s name, and I will make sure of it.”
This echoed her earlier statement from Kirk’s podcast studio, where she had first addressed the public following his death. Days before the memorial, Turning Point USA’s board unanimously elected Erika Kirk as the new CEO and Chair of the Board, symbolizing her determination to carry forward Charlie’s legacy.
A Message of Forgiveness and Faith
Despite the heartbreak, Erika Kirk’s eulogy was filled with messages of hope, forgiveness, and strength. In what became the most emotional moment of the event, she tearfully told the crowd:
“That young man… I forgive him.”
Her words stunned the audience, a testament to her deep-rooted faith and grace under the weight of profound personal loss.
She challenged men across the country to “embrace true manhood” and lead their families with integrity and courage. Likewise, she called on women to recognize the value of motherhood and embrace their God-given strength, stating:
“If you’re a mother, please recognize that is the single most important ministry you have.”
A Life Lived With Purpose
According to Erika, Charlie Kirk lived every day with intention and conviction.
“He left this world without regrets… Charlie died with incomplete work, but not with unfinished business.”
Her words painted the picture of a man who gave his all—every day—for his faith, his family, and his country.
Musical Tributes and Faith-Filled Worship
The celebration of life included a powerful worship segment led by Chris Tomlin, Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham, Kari Jobe Carnes, and Cody Carnes. A special appearance by country legend Lee Greenwood, performing his patriotic anthem “God Bless The U.S.A.”, brought the audience to its feet.
Erika Kirk’s eulogy was more than a tribute—it was a call to action. A reminder to honor life, love deeply, lead faithfully, and forgive bravely. As her voice rang through the stadium, so too did her message: the work Charlie Kirk began will not end with his passing.
Takeaways from Charlie Kirk’s emotional memorial service
President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and a host of top administration officials vowed Sunday that the mission of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk would only grow stronger in the wake of his assassination.
At a memorial service in Glendale, Arizona, attended by tens of thousands of supporters, Kirk was repeatedly described as a martyr who would live on through his movement after he was killed at a Utah university 11 days prior.
“He’s bigger now than ever before. And he’s eternal,” Trump said while noting he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Trump headlined the memorial, with a speech that both honored Kirk’s life and delivered many familiar lines from the president’s political rallies, delving into claims about violence from left-wing extremists that most speakers stayed away from Sunday. But it was Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, who drew the biggest response from the attendees, delivering an emotional speech while promising to take up her husband’s mantle.
People sing worship songs as they gather to attend Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday.
Caitlin O’Hara/Reuters
Sunday’s memorial was a mix of a celebration of Charlie Kirk’s Christian values and a political call to arms not to allow his killing to silence the conservative movement. The Trump administration officials and MAGA stars who spoke fondly remembered the 31-year-old with an uplifting tone and a message of resolve, though a handful also expressed their anger at his murder.
“The evil murderer who took Charlie from us expected us to have a funeral today, and instead, my friends, we have had a revival and celebration of Charlie Kirk and his lord, Jesus Christ,” Vance said to loud applause.
Donald Trump Jr. said Kirk’s “legacy must be that when they took his life, a million more Charlies stepped up to fill the void.”
Here are the takeaways from Kirk’s memorial service:
Trump’s ‘hate’ for his opponents different from Kirk
Trump’s speech at the conclusion of Kirk’s memorial ping-ponged between celebrating the Turning Point USA co-founder’s life and lasting impact on the MAGA movement and the president’s typical political rhetoric attacking his opponents.
Trump made little effort to offer a unifying message in his speech. After a day when most speakers sought to convey messages of resolve and religious faith, Trump diverted at several moments into some of his more political themes, including criticism of his predecessor and boasting about crowd sizes.
Trump says he was having a meeting in Oval Office when told about Kirk’s shooting
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He read at points from a teleprompter, but it was evident when he chose to ad-lib. After each diversion, he sought to tie it back to Kirk, such as a planned crime crackdown in Chicago.
“We’re going to go do Chicago, and we’re going to have Charlie very much in mind when we go into Chicago, and we’ll get that one straight,” Trump said.
Trump used the moment to touch on some divisive cultural touchpoints and said his Justice Department was investigating “networks of radical left maniacs who fund organized fuel and perpetrate political violence.”
President Donald Trump speaks during the public memorial for Charlie Kirk in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday.
Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images
“Some of the very people who call you a ‘hater’ for using the wrong pronoun were filled with glee at the killing of a father with two beautiful young children,” Trump decried.
In one notable moment, Trump said outright that his philosophy toward his opponents was different from Kirk’s.
“He was a missionary with a noble spirit and a great, great purpose. He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them,” Trump said, before seeming to divert from his script.
“That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent,” he said. “And I don’t want the best for them.”
Offering a shrugging apology to Kirk’s widow, Trump said it just wasn’t in his DNA.
“Erika, you can talk to me and the whole group, but maybe they can convince me that that’s not right, but I can’t stand my opponent,” he said.
Kirk’s widow vows to continue his mission in moving address
Trump’s address came after Erika Kirk delivered an emotional and powerful speech remembering her husband, vowing to continue his work and offering forgiveness to his assassin.
“He left this world without regret. He did 100% of what he could every day. But I want you to know something: Charlie died with incomplete work, but not with unfinished business,” Erika Kirk said of her late husband.
She described the shock and heartbreak she felt seeing her husband in the hospital after he was assassinated, but also said she felt an overwhelming sense of comfort knowing he did not suffer.
Erika Kirk speaks at a memorial for her husband, Charlie Kirk, in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
The audience of tens of thousands was rapt as she recounted viewing her husband’s body, staying still and silent while she paused during her speech. The quiet was broken with applause when she said Kirk’s supporters didn’t riot after his death, and as she described new converts to religion inspired by his example.
In one of the most emotional moments of the day, Kirk said she forgave her husband’s accused assassin. She quoted Jesus on the cross, saying: “Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.”
The statement resonated across the stadium, bringing the crowd to its feet.
“I forgive him because it is what Christ did,” she said, without naming the suspect, Tyler Robinson. She said her husband’s mission had been to save young men from unfulfilling lives “consumed with resentment, anger and hate.”
“He wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said, her voice breaking.
Shauna and her daughter Peyton Griggs, 7, react during Erika Kirk’s speech in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday.
Callaghan O’Hare/Reuters
Kirk ended her speech by vowing to take the mantle of Turning Point USA, where she’s now serving as CEO and chair of the board. The world, she said, “needs a group that will point young people away from the path of misery and sin.”
“And so, I promise you today, every part of our work will become greater,” she said. Hours after she spoke, she sent a fundraising email expressing her grief and asking recipients to “carry the torch” her husband lit by donating to Turning Point USA.
Charlie Kirk’s widow wasn’t the only one who vowed to carry on his work. Vance, who flew back with Kirk’s body on Air Force Two after he was shot, called on supporters to honor the conservative activist’s life by continuing his fight for faith, truth and country.
“For Charlie, we will rebuild this United States of America to greatness. For Charlie, we will never shrink, we will never cower, and we will never falter, even when staring down the barrel of a gun,” Vance said.
