Donald Trump Jr. remembered assassinated conservative leader Charlie Kirk as a man of courage and faith during his memorial service in Arizona on Sunday, telling a crowd of tens of thousands that the Turning Point USA co-founder was “like a little brother” and a believer who lived out his convictions.
“I’m not widely known for being a sentimental guy,” Trump said. “But last week when I received word that Charlie, who was like a little brother to me, had been assassinated, I was truly devastated. We all were. And we’re here today to celebrate the way he lived his life.”
Trump, the eldest son of President Donald Trump, said Kirk’s Christian faith defined his life. “When Charlie was asked in an interview how he’d want to be remembered, he said, ‘I want to be remembered for my courage, for my faith,'” Trump told the audience. “Those were not empty words. Last week, Charlie joined a long line of courageous men and women who were martyred for what they believe.”
The memorial came after a tense week in which Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who also spoke at the gathering, faced a bomb threat at his Georgetown home. Kennedy addressed the crowd from behind bulletproof glass.
Trump praised Kirk’s wife, Erika, who has stepped into his role as CEO of Turning Point USA, calling her “extraordinarily courageous.”
He recalled how Kirk pushed him to speak at college campuses during the 2016 campaign, even when police warned of safety threats.
“That sounded like a great reason to pack it up and head out,” Trump said. “But Charlie said, ‘No way. We’re going out there anyway.'”
Trump said Kirk used his platform to engage opponents rather than silence them.
“The media tried to smear him as some sort of dangerous radical, but Charlie embodied something at the very core of our movement,” he said. “When people disagree with us, we don’t silence them. We don’t destroy them. We debate, we stand tall, and we win with our ideas.”
He urged supporters to carry on Kirk’s mission. “If we’re truly going to honor Charlie properly, his loss cannot be the end of the story,” Trump said. “His legacy must be that when they took his life, a million more Charlies stepped up to fill the void. We are all Charlie.”
Trump closed by echoing Scripture: “Charlie, my brother, we love you, we miss you, and we will not let you down. Well done, good and faithful servant.”
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