President Trump Participates in the Memorial Service for Charlie Kirk

Ladies and gentlemen, the vice president of the united states of america, j.d.

Vance.

Thank you. Thank you all so much. You know, You know, I can't help but think that they tried to silence my friend Charlie Kirk. They tried to silence our dear friend Charlie Kirk. And today, tonight, we speak with Charlie and for Charlie, louder than ever. 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 and of his Lord Jesus Christ. We gather here in this stadium in the hot Arizona sun, shielded in a great shining city, our fathers raised out of the desert. And from this desert, Charlie Kirk built a movement. He transformed the face of conservatism in our own time. And in doing so, he changed the course of American history to rising generations across this country. Charlie exemplified kindness, courage, and a commitment to open debate. And he was a great debater, and we loved him for it. But Charlie loved debate. Not because he excelled at it, but because it was the vehicle for bringing the light of truth to dark places. And Charlie Kirk brought many truths in his life. Charlie brought the truth that young people deserved a stake in the future and that they deserve to have a voice. He brought the truth that marriage and family were the highest callings, far more important than any job or educational credential. He brought the truth that our nation would fade unless it brought order to its neighborhoods and prosperity to its people. He brought the truth that life was precious and we must fight to protect it at all stages and at all times. But most of all, Charlie brought the truth that Jesus Christ was the King of Kings and that all truth flowed from this first and most important one. But Charlie, he did so much more than tell the truth. He lived it. Charlie understood that the best evangelization was not in what you said, but in how you lived your life. And in this city, he lived his life well. He raised a wonderful family. He had a beautiful wife, two beloved children and a loving and godly home. In this, he showed us the importance of family. He lived three decades he had on this earth with a sense of Christian virtue that would make any man, any person, proud. And in this, he showed the importance of following God. He was a kind hearted man, a hard working person, and any parent would be proud to have him as a son. In this, he showed the virtue of industriousness. He was present loving as any child would hope of his or her father. And in this, he showed the importance of strong Christian fatherhood. He was fearless and he was bold as any follower would Hope would be true of a leader. And in this, he showed all of us how to carry on after his death. You know, Charlie Kirke loved history. He devoured the ideas that formed the foundation of our civilization. He stood for a tradition that Socrates established 2,500 years ago. To question, to search, and to teach. He was Athens and Jerusalem, the city of reason, the city of God, in one person. But if he loved those places, they were not his home. America was his home, and he was willing to die for it. You know, Charlie, he loved this country with a contagious intensity. Anybody who talked to him knew it and felt it. He knew that America was a beautiful place, and we had these incredible ideas. But he also knew that our country was a covenant between the generations past, present, and future. He believed this country's best days were not behind us, but ahead of us. But he knew those better days would have to be earned. They would have to be worked for. We would have to sacrifice and work and tell the truth. He knew that America wouldn't be saved just by pulling together seminars or talking about the right kind of books in front of the right kind of people. The movement which he created demanded more. It demanded courage. It demanded hard work. It demanded building, and it demanded leaders. And my friends in Charlie Kirk, we found a great American leader. Now our whole administration is here, but not just because we love Charlie as a friend, even though we did, but because we know we wouldn't be here without him. Charlie built an organization that reshaped the balance of our politics. Turning Point brought millions of young people into conversation with one another, brought millions of people into advocacy. He asked of us not just that we talk about saving our country, but that we actually go and do it, and we do it together. But even as Charlie built on a grand scale, his greatness was never only in his ambition. It was measured in the everyday moments as well, in the way that he treated ordinary people each and every single day. You know, you learn a lot about someone by how they treat others when the cameras aren't on. Charlie treated staffers as well as he treated the President of the United States. When I was just a guy polling at nothing in my Senate race back in 2021, Charlie helped me not because I was a future vice president, but because I was a dear friend. I saw just a couple of months ago when a White House staffer struggled with the weight of his job and the responsibilities of new fatherhood, Charlie stopped what he was doing in the hallways of the West Wing and said a prayer for that staffer Because Charlie believed that we were all children of God, he treated everyone with grace. And that that is perhaps the enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk. You know, I was telling somebody backstage that I always felt a little uncomfortable talking about my faith in public. As much as I loved the Lord and as much as it was an important part of my life, I have talked more about Jesus Christ in the past two weeks than I have my entire time in public life. And that is an undeniable legacy of the great Charlie Kirk. You know, he loved God. And because he loved God, he wanted to understand God's creation, the men and women made in his image. Now, much has been said over the last week about Charlie's ability to approach any topic, any person, in good faith, an achievement that was only possible because Charlie knew that we were all children of God. He knew deep down the truth of scripture. And from that confidence, everything else flowed. That unshakable belief in the Gospel led him to see differences in opinion not as battlefields to conquer, but as way stations in the pursuit of truth. He knew it was right to love others, your neighbor, your interlocutor, your enemy. But he also understood his duty to say what is right and what is wrong, to distinguish what is false from what is true. Charlie was slain doing what he loved. Telling the truth, proclaiming his faith, building out a dream. And now he's gone. And our hearts feel so empty because he's been taken from us. He's been taken from his parents and from his sister. He's been taken from our darling Erica and their beautiful children. And, Erica, I know I speak for this entire auditorium when I say that we love you and we will never stop standing by your side, just as Charlie did. He was taken from us by those who despise the virtues that actually made our civilization great to begin with. Dialogue, truth seeking, family and faith. In the wake of his death, we have seen some of the very worst parts of humanity. We have watched people slander him. We have watched people justify his murder and celebrate his death. I know that this makes you angry, just as it has made me angry. But it is easy in these moments to see only the worst of our fellow man. I found myself wishing that I could pick up the phone and talk to my friend and ask him for his advice in his counsel, to ask him how to respond to such hate and the souls from which that hate springs. But I can't call my friend because he was murdered for speaking the truth. I can only guess at what he might say and what he would Encourage me to do. And here's what I think. I think he would encourage me to be honest that evil still walks among us. Not to ignore it for the sake of a fake Kumbaya moment, but to address it head on and honestly as the sickness that it is. But I also think he would encourage me. He would encourage all of us to focus on the good. He would encourage us to remember that for every hateful voice celebrating his murder, there are a thousand people mourning it and fighting for his legacy every single day. He would tell me to pray. I'm certain of it. He would tell me to pray for my friends, but also for my enemies. He would tell me to put on the full armor of God and get back to work. He would tell us to commit ourselves to telling the truth and to fight for that truth each and every single day. He would tell us to talk about God's love and the fact that that love applied everybody across the whole human family. Charlie suffered a terrible fate, my friends. We all know it. We all saw it. But think it is not the worst fate. It is better to face a gunman than to live your life afraid to speak the truth. It is better to be persecuted for your faith than to deny the kingship of Christ. It is better to die a young man in this world than to sell your soul for an easy life with no purpose, no risk, no love and no truth. Christ told us in the Gospel of John, I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace in the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart. I have overcome the world. Charlie took heart. And now we must do the same. I've seen so many of you, say so many on social media, talk about, for Charlie, we must do this. For Charlie. For Charlie, we will speak the truth every single day. 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. For Charlie, we will remember that it is better to stand on our feet defending the United States of America and defending the truth than it is to die on our knees, My friends. For Charlie must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America and he is a martyr for the Christian faith. May our Heavenly Father give us the courage to live as Charlie lived. That is what we must do. For Charlie. You ran a good race, my friend. I love you. We've got it from here. Thank you.

Sam. We give you the highest praise.

You deserve it. All, you deserve it all we give.

You the highest praise, you deserve it all, you deserve it all we give you the highest praise, you deserve it all, you deserve it all. With every breath that's in my L my heart cries out to you belongs the glory. The glory me through every loss of victory my soul will rise you only bring you glory. You glory. Ram. Sam. It.

Please give a warm welcome to Mrs. Erica kirk.

Hello.

God bless all of you for coming here from all over the world to honor and celebrate my Charlie, Just a few miles from here. Two years ago at America Fest 2023, Charlie delivered a speech on stage for our TPUSA Faith event. Charlie loves speaking off the cuff. He's very good at that without a script. So I personally didn't know what he was do going to to say. And what he chose to speak about that day was his submission to the will of God. He quoted one of his favorite Bible verses, Isaiah, chapter six, verse eight, Here I am, Lord, send me. After Charlie finished, I met him backstage and I spoke to him and I'll never forget this. I said, charlie, baby, please talk to me next time before you say that statement. Because when you say something like that, there is so much power in that verse. When you say here I am Lord, use me. God will take you up on that. And he did with Charlie. 11 days ago, God accepted that total surrender from my house husband and then called him to his side. More than anything, Charlie wanted to do not his will, but God's will. And over these past 11 days.

Through.

All the pain, never before have I found as much comfort as I now do in the words of our Lord prayer, thy will be done. God's love was revealed to me on the very day my husband was murdered. On the afternoon of September 10, I arrived at a Utah hospital to do the unthinkable. To look directly at my husband's murdered body. I saw the wound that ended his life. I felt everything you would expect to feel. I felt shock. I felt horror and a level of heartache that I didn't even know existed. But there was something else too. Even in death, I could see the man that I love. I saw the one single gray hair on the side of his head, which I never told him about. Now he knows. Sorry, baby. Telling you now, but never told him. Didn't want to. I also saw this. I also saw on his lips the faintest smile. And that told me something important. It revealed to me a great mercy from God in this tragedy. When I saw that, it told me Charlie didn't suffer. Even the doctor told me it was something so instant that even. Even if Charlie had been shot in the operating room at 6 itself, nothing could have been done. There was no fame. There was no fear, no agony. One moment, Charlie was doing what he loved, arguing and debating on campus.

Fighting.

For the gospel and truth in front of a big crowd. And then he blinked. He blinked and saw his Savior in paradise. And all the heavenly mysteries were revealed to him. God's love continued to be revealed to me in the days that followed. The next day, on the tarmac in Air Force Two, I confronted Usha Vance. Precious woman. I held her hand and I told her, honestly, I do not know how I am going to get through this. She told me something. She said, you know when you're on an airplane with your kids and it's the last 15 minutes of the flight, things are crazy. Kids are not cooperating, toys are flying everywhere, and everyone's screaming. And you think, you yourself, I cannot wait for this flight to land. And it's 15 minutes before you land. And she told me, you will get through these 15 minutes in the next 15 minutes after that. Usha, I don't think you realized it then, but those words were exactly what.

I needed to hear.

But most of all, God's mercy and God's love have been real, revealed to me these past 10 days. After Charlie's assassination, we didn't see violence. We didn't see rioting. We didn't see revolution. Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country. We saw revival. This past week. We saw people open a Bible for the first time in a decade. We saw people pray for the first time since they were children. We saw people go to a church service for the first time in their entire lives. Charlie liked to journal, and I say this because he did it to remember important moments and sayings that affected him. And one of the things he wrote in his journal was, Every time you make a decision, it puts a mark on your soul. To those of you out there who just made that decision and took the first step toward a spiritual life, I say thank you and welcome. One day, I hope you look back and realize it was the most important decision of your life. Because it is all of you.

All.

Of you who are already believers, it is your job to shepherd these people. Do not take that lightly. Water the seed of their faith. Protect it and help it grow. Every day as Charlie rode into the office, he would go through his contact list, and I know there's many of you who Were impacted by this. He would go through his contact list and send Bible verses for the day. He knew that faith was a habit. The more you live it, the more it grows. But know this too. The seed has only just been planted. The enemy will tempt you the most in a time like this one. God will always be there for you. But you must choose to mark your soul again and again in the direction of Christ. Pray again, read the Bible again, go to church next Sunday and the Sunday after that, and break free from the temptations and shackles of this world. Being a follower of Christ is not easy. It's not supposed to be. Jesus said, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. He said he would be persecuted. He said we would be persecuted. And Charlie knew that and happily carried his cross all the way to the end. And I want all of you to know. While Charlie died far too early, he was also ready to die. There was nothing, nothing he was putting off. There was nothing that was too hard or too painful or nothing that he just felt like he didn't want to do it. He left this world without regrets. 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. But I will miss him. I will miss him so much. Because our marriage and our family were beautiful. They still are. The greatest cause in Charlie's life was trying to to revive the American family. When he spoke to young people, he was always eager to tell them about God's vision for marriage and how if they could just dare to live it out, it would enrich every part of their life in the same way that it enriched ours. And someone once asked me how Charlie and I, how we kept our marriage so strong when he was busy traveling and our little secret. It was love notes. Every Saturday, Charlie wrote one for me. And he never missed a Saturday. And in every. Every single one of them, he'd tell me what his highlight was for the week, how grateful he was for me and our babies. And always at the end, he would always end it with asking the most beautiful question. He'd always end it by asking, please let me know how I can better serve you as a husband. Charlie perfectly understood God's role for a Christian husband. A man who leads so that they can serve. To all the men watching around the.

World.

Accept Charlie's challenge and embrace true manhood. Be strong and courageous for your families. Love your wives and lead them. Love your children and protect. Protect Them be the spiritual head of your home. But please, be a leader worth following. Your wife. Your wife is not your servant. Your wife is not your employee. Your wife is not your slave. She is your helper. You are not rivals. You are one flesh working together for the glory of God. I was Charlie's confidant. I was his vault, his closest and most trusted advisor, his best friend. I poured into him and loved him so deeply, empowered him because his love for me drove me to be a better wife. Every day, he honored me, and I prayed that I could be the wife of that God needed me to be for my husband. Women, I have a challenge for you, too. Be virtuous. Our strength is found in God's design for our role. We are the guardians. We are the encouragers. We are the preservers. Guard your heart. Everything you do flows from it. And if you're a mother, please recognize that is the single most important ministry you have. In our home. Because Charlie traveled a lot, we tried to travel with him where we could. But I made sure that when Charlie returned from work, it was his sacred landing place, away from the worries of the world. I didn't make him feel guilty.

For.

Being away too long or too much or getting home too late. I always told him, home is here for you, and it'll be ready for you. And I made it into this place where he wanted to be as soon as possible. When he was on the road, there was no keeping score between us. We were a team working together for the same mission. I never wanted to be the one standing between Charlie and the task that God prepared for him had set for him. And I knew Charlie would always do his best to help me with the same. My marriage with Charlie was the best thing that ever happened to me. And I know it was the best thing that ever happened to him as well. He wanted everyone to experience that joy. And that's what's so beautiful about God's design for marriage, is that everyone can. I could talk endlessly about it. In years to come, I will. But Charlie's mission, above all, was aimed directly at those who aren't married. He named his organization well. He knew things were not right with America and especially with young people, and they needed a new direction. Charlie passionately wanted to reach and save the lost boys of the West. The young men who feel like they have no direction, no purpose, no faith, and no reason to live. The men wasting their lives on distractions. And the men consumed with resentment, anger, and hate. Charlie wanted to help them. He wanted them to have a home with Turning Point usa. And when he went onto campus, he was looking to show them a better.

Path.

And a better life that was right there for the taking. He wanted to show them that. My husband, Charlie, he wanted to. To save young men just like the one who took his life.

That young man.

That young man on the cross, our Savior said, Father, forgive them for they not know what they do. That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did and is what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love. And always love. Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us. The world needs Turning Point usa. It needs a group that will point young people away from the path of misery and sin. It needs something that will lead people away from hell in this world and in the next. It needs young people pointed in the direction of truth and beauty. And so I promise you today, every part of our work will become greater. I am tremendously honored to be the new CEO of Turning Point usa. I do not take that lightly. Charlie and I were united in purpose. His passion was my passion. And now his mission is my mission. Everything that Turning Point USA built through Charlie's vision and hard work, we will make 10 times greater through the power of his memory. Chapters will grow. Thousands of new ones will be created. TP USA Faith will add thousands of new pastors and congregations. And yes, campus events will continue. And we will continue to hold debates and dialogue. The First Amendment of our Constitution is the most human amendment. We are naturally talking beings, naturally believing beings, and the First Amendment protects our right to do both. No assassin will ever stop us from standing up to defend those rights at the. Because when you stop the conversation, when you stop the dialogue, this is what happens when we lose the ability and the willingness to communicate and we get violence. And as I stand here now.

And.

I look at this beautiful photo of my husband in front of me hanging in the stadium, I think of my husband 13 years ago. I hadn't met him yet. He was 18 years old, old man, barely out of high school, running around the halls of the RNC without a dollar in his pocket and a single contact in his phone. People who saw him said that he didn't know what he was doing. But he did. He did know what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was doing. He was going to change the world. And he did. Charlie's life was a turning point for this country. It was a miracle. Let that miracle that was Charlie's life be your turning point as well. Choose prayer. Choose courage. Choose beauty. Choose adventure. Choose family. Choose a life of faith. Most importantly, choose Christ. I love you, Charlie baby. And I will make you proud. God bless you all. God bless America.

It's sam.

Please welcome to the stage the 45th and 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.

If tomorrow all the things were born I'd work for all my life and I had to start again Just my children and my wife thank my lucky stars to be living here today Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can't take that away. And I'm proud to be an American at least I know I'm free and I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me and I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today there ain't no doubt I love this land.

God bless.

Are you. For America?

For Charlie Kirk.

From the lakes of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee across the plains of Texas from sea to silent sea From Detroit to Houston, Over New York to LA there's pride in every American heart and it's time we stand and say. That I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free and I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me and I gladly stand up up next to you and defend her still today Cuz there ain't no doubt I love this land Sing it. God bless the USA. And I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free and I won't forget the men who died who gave that praise to me and I gladly stand up next to you and it's in her spirit today Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God bless the.

Well I want to thank you very much, Lee. You've been there from the beginning with us, Lee, and we appreciate it. Nobody can sing that song like Lee Greenwood. Thank you very much, Lee, very much for being here. And his voice has not changed, you know, pretty amazing. And a special thank you to Erica. Because today, America is a nation in grief, a nation in shock and a nation in mourning. Less than two weeks ago, our country was robbed of one of the brightest lights of our times. A giant of his generation and above all, a devoted husband, father, son, Christian and patriot. Charles James Kirk was heinously murdered by a radicalized, cold blooded monster. For speaking the truth that was in his heart. He was violently killed because he spoke for freedom and justice for God, country For reason and for common sense, he was assassinated because he lived bravely, he led boldly, and he argued brilliantly without apology. He did what was right for our nation. And so, on that terrible day, September 10, 2025, our greatest evangelist for American liberty became immortal. He's a martyr now for American freedom. I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk, and neither now will his ministry. Because while Charlie has been reunited with his creator in heaven, his voice on earth will echo through the generations, and his name will live forever. In the eternal chronicle of America's greatest patriots, he will live forever. To Charlie's incredible and beautiful widow, Erica. We know the weight of this monumental loss is almost unbearable. But even in the midst of heartache, pain too great to even fathom, you have somehow found the strength and deep faith to be a comfort to minister millions and millions of people. And thank you very much, Erica. Thank you very much. Today, an entire nation wraps its loving arms around you and your beautiful children. We share in your immense and overwhelming sorrow. And we vow that we will do everything we can to ensure that you change. Children grow up in a land where their father is honored and revered as a great American hero. That's what he is. To Charlie's parents, who lost their beloved son, and to the entire Kirk family, we know that no words can ever be enough to fill the void he leaves behind. And that's a void that just can't be filled. But I hope the extraordinary outpouring of emotion over these past 11 days has comforted you with the knowledge that your son brought more good and love into this world in his 31 short years than most people, even very, very successful people, can bring in a lifetime. Charlie Kirk loved America with everything he had, had. And as we can see so clearly today, America loved Charlie Kirk. And he could always draw a big crowd. Look at this today. Look at what's gone on. This is a big crowd. Here today. We have the Vice President of the United States, J.D.

Vance.

We have the speaker of the U.S. house of Representatives, Mike Johnson. We have countless members of the United States Senate. And I'm sorry, I'm not going to introduce you, but I'll be up here. They're all over the place. And likewise the House of Representatives. They're all over this big stadium. This is not an arena. This is a stadium. Our great cabinet. And this stadium packed with rafters of people, not to mention the one across the street that also has tens of thousands of people. And they're watching us on screen right now. And I'm sorry, sorry we couldn't get you in. If anybody would like to give up your seat, please walk across the street. But this is like an old time revival, isn't it? An old time revival. For millions of Americans, especially young people, it is agonizing and unthinkable to say goodbye to a patriot whose heart still had so much to give. It's so much. Raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Charlie was filled with the patriotic spirit from his youth. And he was an all American in everything he did. And one of the last things he said to me is, please sir, save Chicago. We're going to do that. We're going to save Chicago from horrible crime. In high school school, he was the quarterback of the football team and the captain of the basketball team. He was a good athlete. A lot of people don't know that about Charlie. He was an Eagle Scout who spent his school lunch breaks listening to another champion for liberty, somebody that he greatly admired, Rush Limbaugh. But what was even more important to Charlie than politics and service was the choice he made in the fifth grade, which he called the most important decision of his life. To become a Christian and a follower of his savior, Jesus Christ. Inspired by faith and his love of freedom.

Freedom.

Charlie did something remarkable when he was just 18 years old. On the advice of a mentor who told him to put off going to college because he was doing so well. He devoted his life to converting young people to the conservative cause. How did he do? Take a look. How did he do. In 2012? Two days after graduating high school school and with just $1,800 in his pocket, the young man from Illinois, who no one had ever heard of, started an organization whose grand ambitions were captured in its name, Turning Point usa. Great name. And I have a feeling it's going to be bigger and better than ever before. Does that make sense? It's going to be bigger and better than ever before. Look at what's happening. Twelve years ago, Charlie walked onto his first college campus, the very liberal University of Wisconsin at Madison. He set up a card table and put up a sign with three Big government sucks. Could you believe that? That's Charlie. That day, Charlie talked to every student who approached him, most of whom were probably quite a bit older than he was. Finally, after many hours, he found the first ever Turning Point chapter leader. His first year out of high school, Charlie traveled 300 days raising money and taking his message to campus all over the country. He lived out of his parents basement and they Actually loved having him there. They loved Charlie. Everybody loved Charlie. And on the couches of friends and supporters. He lived off couches for two years, three years. Then life started getting a little bit different. But he was always the same. For five years, he refused to take a paycheck. But day after day, he worked from 5am in the morning till 11pm in the evening. Always. His staff remembers that he wore Walmart jeans and T shirts from the Goodwill store. Remember the Goodwill store? It wasn't easy, but Charlie wasn't in it for money at all. Never has. Husband money was never his thing. He was always in it for the mission. As he liked to say, even back then, we have a country to save. This is what he did. He'd call me all the time, sir, we have a country to save. I said, charlie, thanks very much for telling me that. I appreciate it. Charlie volunteered for my 2016 campaign in Germany. Traveled the nation with my son Don and Eric. I got to know him very well and saw immediately that Charlie was actually a master builder. Master builder of people. It was Charlie who first started organizing young black conservatives hungry for support and leadership. It was Charlie who stood up for persecuted Christians and Jews on college campuses. It was Charlie who helped bring online censorship, free speech, and cancel culture to the fore of our political debate. He was right up there with me. It was Charlie who helped unite maga. And you know what Maha is. That's right. Make America healthy again.

Again.

And tomorrow we're going to have one of the biggest announcements, really medically, I think, in the history of our country. We're going to be doing it with Bobby and Oz and all of the professionals. I think you're going to find it to be amazing. I think we found an answer to autism. How about that? Autism. Tomorrow we're going to be talking, talking in the Oval Office, in the White House about autism, how it happens so we won't let it happen anymore. And how to get at least somewhat better when you have it so that parents can help their child, their beautiful child. That's a big one. I've been. I've been bugging everybody over there. Get the answer to that. You know, 20 years ago, one in 10,000 were born with autism. 20 years ago. The most recent survey says one in 12. How bad is that? That's for young boys, baby boys, but also girls a little bit better. It's about 1 in 20. But we can't, because obviously there was something really wrong. And we think we know what that is. It's going to be. I Think it's going to be one of the most important news conferences I'll ever have. And I look so forward to. And you know who else looked forward to it because he knew I tell him a little bit about what was going on was Charlie. He would have been front row center. Believe me, we'll be missing him tomorrow. It was such a big deal for him, too. He brought together Donald Trump, Bobby Kennedy, right here in the great state of Arizona one year ago. Remember that? What a night. What a day that was was. And it was Charlie who was among the first to speak to me about a man from Ohio by the name of J.D. vance. Have you ever heard of him? He's doing a good job. But Charlie would often call me sometimes the night before a big event the other side of the country, and it asked me and say, do you think you could come and speak at the event the following day?

Right.

I'd say, charlie, give me a. I'm the President of the United States. You want me to travel four hours by plane? And, you know, sometimes I did it. He was a very good guy. He was a very convincing guy. He didn't stop, but he would ask for things like that, sir, could you be tomorrow in California? He said, charlie, give me a break, please. He just wouldn't stop. And he succeeded. But I almost always went. Because you never wanted to let Charlie down. He worked so hard. You just didn't want to let him down. I felt guilty. He'd make me feel very guilty. As president, many people asked me for things, things. But Charlie was one of the few who always gave more than he took. He was a giver, much more than a taker. And no matter how big Charlie became, no one was too small for him to notice. He was good to everybody. Didn't matter. Several years ago, a fourth grader asked Charlie to appear on his podcast, which was probably only watched by the parents of that fourth grader. And Charlie, who was actually pretty hot at the time, to be honest, he agreed, and the boy asked for advice. Charlie replied, the left.

The left.

I call it the radical left. I call it sometimes the radical left lunatics. But Charlie didn't say that. He called it the left left. He was probably right. But I can't help it. I can't help it. So he said, the left, radical left, lunatics may have all the money in the world, but they could never outwork me. I will wake up as early as I need to about himself. I will stay up as late as I need to, and I will never stop Fighting for our country. And he did this until his dying breath. That's what he was doing. That's what he was doing. Think of it. Wow. What a horrible moment. I was in the Oval Office when I heard they came in, and I. It was like a surreal experience, a terrible, terrible. I had some very big people in the Oval Office, and. And I was in the midst of a very important conversation for our country. Big people, the biggest. And I said, you have to leave now. When they told me that, they told me in front of a group of very powerful people, I said, you have to leave now. Right now, please, right now. You have to leave.

Go.

By his own determination and skill, Charlie Kirk built Turning Point from his humble, humble beginnings. The beginnings that nobody believed could ever end up something like this, into a great movement and a juggernaut of American politics. And, you know, we have a massive stadium loaded up with people. But he got tremendous crowds before he had this kind of horrible news and before we had to hear what happened so terribly. He delivered more than 250 speeches a year at odds, over 200 colleges and universities. And that was at a time when it was not really vogue to go to colleges and universities if you were a conservative. It really took great courage. And we used to talk, and I said, you know, I think they're much more conservative than we know. And he agreed. But it just wasn't something that was happening because the radical left would do very bad things, very dangerous things. But Charlie set UP chapters on 2,200 campuses and spoke at more than 1,000 churches. He launched a podcast and radio show that grew to an audience of 1 million Americans a day. One of the bigger shows on radio and. And Charlie didn't just bring young people into the movement. All of a sudden, it started to grow by leaps and bounds. By 2024, we won more young people than any Republican candidate in the history of our country, including, for the first time, a majority of males under 30. Can you believe it? Remember when Republican presidential candidates were get 4%? No, we did unbelievably with young people. And he was a big, big factor. Unbelievable. But he made me work for it. Sir, you have to make a speech here, you have to make a speech there. But we did it and we won. And our country is doing unbelievably well now. We had a country that was dead one year ago, and now we have the hottest country anywhere in the world.

World.

And Charlie helped us make it that one of the great people. But through it all, the core of Charlie's message. And his basic method never changed. It never really changed. He stayed the same person. Also, at every campus event, Charlie asked the people who disagreed with him to come forward. And instead of silencing them, he handed them a microphone and let them speak. And he'd convinced so many of them. It was a pretty amazing thing to watch, actually. Shortly before Charlie arrived on campus the day he was assassinated, a staff member texted him that there were many critics and students who were opposed to his views and rather strenuously in the crowd. And that actually made him feel good because. Because he wanted to convince them. He understood. He really did. He understood what was right and he was right about that. A lot of it was based on common sense. By the way, Charlie wrote back to the staff member saying, I'm not here to fight them. I want to know them and love them and I want to reach them and try and lead them into a great way of life in our country.

Country.

In that private moment on his dying day, we find everything we need to know about who Charlie Kirk truly was. 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. That's where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent and I don't want the best for them. Them. I'm sorry. I am sorry, Erica. But now Erica 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. Charlie's angry. Looking down, he's angry at me now. He wasn't interested in demonizing anyone. He was interested in persuading everyone to the ideas and principles he believed were good, right and true.

True.

Before each appearance, he prayed these God used me for your will. Always said the same thing, use me for your will. And that is exactly what God did. When you think that's exactly what he did. The more success Charlie had, and he was getting more and more successful, the more dangerous his mission became. On campuses all over the country, his quest for open dialogue was met with menacing hate. There were bomb threats, pulled fire alarms, and countless rage filled radicals who tried to shout him down. It was nasty. I used to say, charlie, this is nasty stuff you're doing. At one the of event, police had to build barricades to protect students from an angry mob of thugs. Many of these people, by the way, are paid a lot of money to do this. They're agitators. They're paid agitators. Remember that when you see they all have the same Beautifully printed sign, every sign is identical. Comes out of a top level print shop. That's not the signs that are made in somebody's basement. Those are paid for by very bad people. And hopefully we're going to be finding out through the DOJ who those people are. At another college, antifa terrorists shattered windows, threw rocks and tried to storm the building where Charlie was speaking. It was a really bad one. Often dozens of police officers were needed to prevent left wing violence. And the violence comes largely from the left. You don't hear that from too many people, do you? And virtually every day for years before he was murdered, Charlie received these horrible death threats. People don't know. I used to talk to him about it. He said, I got some threats. He always felt that when they actually made the threat, they were, were not the ones to worry about. The ones to worry about were the ones that don't make their threats. And I think you know what I mean. He knew the risks. But he and I shared a certain motto. Never back down. And never ever surrender. Just don't surrender. Never back down. He believed in it so strongly, so strongly. And he's right. He's totally, he's totally right. The radicals and their allies in the media, media sometimes referred to as my son, said the fake news media, tried to silence Charlie for a simple reason, because he was winning and he was winning big. He was taking over college campuses, colleges that had in theory only very liberal or as they like to say, progressive. I call them liberal, but they like to call themselves because such a beautiful, the word progressive. They're the opposite of progressive if you think about it. But they were really nasty. And he would go into these colleges, all of a sudden, within two years, three years, they turn into bastions of conservatism. It was really quite amazing to see. They lied about him because they did not want you to listen to him or to learn from him because what he was talking about and even preaching made so much sense. Everywhere he went, he won the debates, he won the hearts, he won the minds. And yes, he won the elections for people. He helped us, he helped other people. We won the biggest election in the history of our country. I believe. Charlie Kirk was without a doubt among the most influential figures and the most important election election in the history of our country. The election of, oh, that beautiful day, November 5, 2024. Do you remember that day? It was nine months ago. What a day that was. I mean, we had a pretty good day in the first one and I must tell you, on the second one we had a phenomenal day. Quite a lot of bad things. A lot things happened, and now that's not even questioned. They cheated like dogs. But we got them back, didn't we? Huh? Got them back. But we owe Charlie a profound and eternal debt of gratitude. Now, just like Charlie and Erica made Turning Point hot, we are looking at a country that has the chance to. To attain a level like never before. Tariffs are making us rich again. Richer than anybody ever thought was possible. And the only one challenging them are people that hate our country or foreign countries that are paying a price because they did the same thing to us for years. They took advantage of us. But we're. We're making money. We're becoming richer and richer, and we're taking care of our people better and better when we do that. And we can take care of other countries better and better, but we're doing unbelievably well. The tariffs have really been a hole. The election was big, but the tariffs, because of the election, came in. And remember, other nations do that to us. And Charlie understood that. He saw the money. He saw what was coming into our country. And we can use that for Medicare, medicine, Medicaid, Social Security, all of these things that we fight so hard for. And that's exactly what's happening. The numbers are incredible. When the news finally came out on election night last November that the race was officially won came out pretty early in the night. Charlie was live on camera. In that moment, he was overcome with emotion. I've never seen him like this. He was so happy. For a long while, he said nothing. His eyes were filled with tears. And then he buried his face in his hands and he started crying. That wasn't the Charlie I knew, but in thinking about it, it actually was the Charlie I knew, because he had a tremendous heart. He just wanted what was good for our country. And he saw us going in such a horrible direction. Lovingly, Eric. And this was so beautiful. Erica put a maga hat on. On to cover his bowed head. I like that very much. Maga we love. Does everybody love maga? Make America great again. When Joe Biden used to get up, remember the speeches? We will stop maga. We will stop maga. You know, he could barely get the words out. We will stop. I said, can somebody inform him the MAGA means make America great again. How do you say you're going to stop it? And Charlie understood that. When Charlie finally looked up and spoke, he smiled through the watery eyes and simply said, I am humbled by God's grace. That was his statement that night, I was watching him, I was very impressed actually. It showed he had a big heart. Every single American reckon should take a long hard look at the twisted soul and dark spirit of anyone who would want to kill a young man as good as Charlie. To kill anybody. But to kill a man like this. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve this. Our country didn't deserve this. And anyone who would make excuses for it are just out of their mind. Charlie's murder was not just an attack on one man or one movement. It was an attack on our entire nation. That was a horrible attack on the United States of America. It was an assault on our most sacred liberties and God given rights. The gun was pointed at him, but the bullet was aimed at all of us. That bullet was aimed at every one of us. Indeed, Charlie was killed for expressing the very ideas that virtually everyone in this arena and most other places throughout our country deeply believed in. But the assassin failed in his quest because Charlie's message has not been silenced. It now is bigger and better and stronger than ever before. And it's not even close. And it's rare that such a thing happens. But Charlie is bigger today than he was was. Think about it. Just two weeks ago. He's bigger today than he was two weeks ago. Now that may not help his friends and loved ones of which there are so many. It may not help Eric and those beautiful children who have to suffer so horribly through this moment. But they know it's true. He's bigger now than ever before. And he's eternal. He's eternal. Eternal. And I just want to say we love him. And he's looking down at us right now and he's saying, wow, that's a great crowd. He's saying that's a great crowd. And it's a great crowd of patriots. But that's why I will soon award Charlie the nation's highest civilian honor. The Presidential Medal of Freedom. It's the highest civilian honor. And we will do the ceremony at our beautiful White House in a very safe Washington D.C. a place that Charlie truly remember. You know, we stopped the crime in Washington, took 12 days. Now you can go to restaurants, you can walk down the middle of the street with your wife. You can have your wife walk alone down the middle of the street. She's going to be in good shape. What a difference, what a difference good management really makes. But it's. I'm so proud of that. Washington, D.C. you know, is one of the worst in the nation, in the world. World and now it's considered a very safe city. And it's also, I passed it yesterday. I went through it, and the lawns are good. It's like a different place. It's like the tents are gone, the threats are gone, the gangs aren't there. We got rid of, you know, we took out 1500 career criminals. 1500. If you have three career criminals, that can make a big difference. But I'm so proud of Washington, D.C. and now we're going into Memphis and we'll get that one straightened out fast. And then we're going into some others, but we're going to go to Chicago and we're going to have Charlie very much in mind when we go into Chicago and we'll get that one straightened out. You have an incompetent governor who he thinks it's okay when 11 people get murdered over the weekend. He thinks you don't have any crime when 11 people get murdered and 28 people get shot. He says he's got crime. No, they, they don't have it under control, but we'll have it under control very quickly. So we're going to be doing that. And Charlie loved what we were doing. He was so proud of what happened. He was there to see it. He so proud of what happened in Washington, D.C. as you know, the depraved assassin who planned and executed Charlie's killing has been arrested and charged with capital murder. God willing, he will receive the full and ultimate punishment for his horrific crime. It's a terrible thing because you can't let that happen. You can't let that happen. Can't let it happen to a country. The Department of Justice is also involved investigating networks of radical left maniacs who fund, organize, fuel and perpetrate political violence. And we think we know who many of them are. But law enforcement can only be the beginning of our response to Charlie's murder. Over the last 11 days, we have heard stories of commentators, influencers, and others in our society who greeted his assassination nation with sick approval, excuses, or even jubilation. You've heard that. So have I. Couldn't believe it. Some of the very same people who spent the last eight years trying to sit in moral judgment of anyone who disagreed with them about politics suddenly started cheering for murder. Incredible. You know the names, they're major losers, by the way, that will be proven out in a short period of time. 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 and the same commentators who this week are screaming fascism over a canceled late night TV show where the anchor had no tactics, talent and no ratings last week. We're implying that Charlie Kirk deserved what happened to him. No side in American politics has a monopoly on disturbed or misguided people. But there's one part of our political community which believes they have a monopoly on truth, goodness and virtue and concludes they have also a monopoly on power, thought and speech. Well, that's not happening anymore. We've turned that corner very quickly. Tragically. Atrocities of this kind and kind that we saw in Utah of all places are the eventual consequence of that kind of thinking. If speech is violence, then some are bound to conclude that violence is justified to stop speech. And we're not going to let that be justified. The tradition of reason and open dependent debate that Charlie practice is not a pillar of our democracy. In many ways, it's the basis of our entire society. It's the right and inheritance of every free American, the greatest legacy of the Enlightenment and among the most treasured achievements of civilization. We will defend it at all costs and we will carry forward the torch of liberty that should Charlie Kirk held so proud and so high. He was so proud and he did hold that torch high. We will never ever let it fail. We will never let it fail. But we're going to raise it higher than ever before. It's going to be raised. And this is the beginning. Perhaps it should be no surprise that Charlie, who spent his life speaking with the critics of these traditions, ultimately became concerned, convinced that we needed not just a political realignment, but also a spiritual reawakening. We did. And we have to bring back religion to America. Because without borders, law and order and religion, you really don't have a country anymore. We want religion brought back to America. We want to bring God back into our beautiful USA like never before. We want God back.

Back.

Charlie would have been so pleased to hear his friends and colleagues today giving testimony and giving glory to God. Within minutes of the gunshot in Utah, millions of Americans, young and old, heard the news and dropped to their knees and started praying. Even many who rarely prayed ask God for a miracle. Please, God, save change, Charlie. But although Charlie's time with us on earth has ended, those prayers for a miracle have already been answered. Look at what's happening. Look at what's happening. In the days since Charlie's death, we have seen how his legacy has touched so many millions around the world. In Calgary, Canada, thousands gathered at City hall to sing the American national anthem. And raise up posters with the name Charlie Kirk. In Seoul, South Korea, crowds gathered to wave American flags and shout, we are for Charlie Kirk. His memory has been honored in the streets of Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna, Sydney, Madrid, London, Tel Aviv and all over the world. So beautiful to watch. A man as far away as rural Australia texted a pastor, I'm going to come to church tomorrow. For the first time ever, the pastor asked, why is that? The man replied, because of Charlie Kirk. Can you imagine? The lesson of Charlie's life is that you should never underestimate what one person can do. Do with a good heart, a righteous cause, a cheerful spirit, and the will to fight. Fight, fight. Have to fight. We're saving our country. And Charlie is a big factor. Such a big factor. Charlie Kirk started with only an idea to change minds on college campuses. Crisis. And instead, he ended up with a far greater achievement. Changing history. He changed history. Today, Charlie Kirk rests in glory in heaven for all eternity. He has gone from speaking on campuses in Wisconsin to kneeling at the throne of God where he is right. We grieve for the friend and leader that we have lost, but we go forward strengthened by his faith and bolstered by his courage and inspired by his example to defend the country he lived for, for the freedoms he died for and the values in which he so deeply believed. He believed in values that we should all believe in. Charlie created something very special. It's called Turning Point usa. And under the leadership and love of Erica, it will become bigger and better and stronger than ever before. So, Charlie, we all want to thank you. We want to say a very loud God bless you, Charlie. God bless you for what you've done is incredible. And God bless Erica and the children. God bless the United States of America. And could I ask Erica, please come out? Erica, please come out. Thank you.

Sam.

Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you very much. And good luck. God be with you. Thank you.

Ram ra.