Tens of Thousands Gather in Glendale to Remember Charlie Kirk as Trump Calls Him a Martyr for American Freedom

On September 21, 2025, a memorial service for Charlie Kirk was held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Maricopa County, Arizona, where President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and key administration officials gathered with tens of thousands of other attendees to celebrate Kirk's life and legacy, according to a White House article published the following day that set out the service and key moments from the president's remarks.

Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University. At the memorial, Trump said Kirk was heinously murdered for speaking the truth that was in his heart and for speaking for freedom and justice, adding that on that terrible day, September 10, America's greatest evangelist for liberty became immortal and is now a martyr for American freedom.

Trump also said Kirk's murder was not just an attack on one man or one movement but an attack on the entire nation, an assault on America's most sacred liberties and God-given rights. He said the gun was pointed at Kirk but the bullet was aimed at all Americans, and that the assassin had failed because Kirk's message had not been silenced and is now bigger, better and stronger than ever before.

Administration members listed by the White House as sharing testimonies at the service included Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who spoke of Kirk's role as a leader, mentor and motivator.

Trump said the lesson of Kirk's life is to never underestimate what one person can do with a good heart, a righteous cause, a cheerful spirit and the will to fight, and that Kirk, who started with only an idea to change minds on college campuses, ended up with the far greater achievement of changing history.

Related: Charlie Kirk Fatally Shot While Speaking at Utah Valley University; Governor Calls It a Political Assassination; Suspect in Charlie Kirk Assassination Arrested: 22-Year-Old Tyler Robinson of Utah Taken Into Custody

(Source: The White House)

Source: The White House

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：2025年9月21日，特朗普总统在亚利桑那州 Glendale 的 State Farm Stadium 出席 Charlie Kirk 追悼会并致辞，场内座无虚席。Daniel Torok 摄，白宫官方照片，公共领域。 / Photo: President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the memorial service for Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on September 21, 2025. Official White House photo by Daniel Torok, public domain.

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