Some called for forgiveness and unity Sunday at Charlie Kirk’s funeral in Arizona. Others called for combat and retribution. But one thing the Republican leaders had in common in their speeches was that the activist’s assassination should be a turning point, the start of a revival for religious conservatives,
NBC News reports.
Tens of thousands of mourners gathered in State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday afternoon. Leaders in the MAGA movement, of which Kirk, 31, was a central part, attended, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, a number of Cabinet officials and billionaire tech executive Elon Musk.
Many speakers used their time eulogizing Kirk to also make renewed arguments for American conservatism, with, they argued, Christianity, marriage, having children and open debate at the core.
Many speakers invoked the notion of a “revival” and spoke in expressly religious terms, canonizing Kirk, a co-founder of the organization Turning Point USA, and describing “a spiritual war,” in the words of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in which Kirk was a fighter.
“The day that Charlie died, the angels wept, but those tears have been turned into fire in our hearts,” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said. “And that fire burns with a righteous fury that our enemies cannot comprehend or understand.”
Most, though, focused on Kirk’s legacy as an avenue to usher in a way to reintroduce and redefine the political right, perhaps a new wave of MAGA.
“The evil murderer who took Charlie from us expected us to have a funeral today, and instead, my friends, we have had a revival in celebration of Charlie Kirk,” Vance said.
Hegseth said, “Charlie started a political movement but unleashed a spiritual revival.”
And Trump compared the gathering to “an old-time revival.”
Kirk was assassinated as he spoke at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. The suspect, Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated murder and obstruction of justice, among other counts.
Galvanizing supporters and enraging critics with his at times inflammatory takes on a host of issues — including race, gender and Islam — Kirk reached an audience of millions across many platforms as his group grew nationwide to help advance his causes.
Leaders focused Sunday on his efforts to convert young people to the conservative cause, his outreach on college campuses, his penchant for holding open debates at such venues — which was what he was doing when he was killed — and his religious faith.
