Trump, major GOP figures among the 100,000 heavy hearts attending memorial service for Charlie Kirk
More than 100,000 heavy hearts are set to converge on Arizona’s State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., today to commemorate the life of Charlie Kirk — the fiery young activist who ignited fierce loyalty, sharp, yet civil debate, and whose shocking assassination has left a movement in mourning.
Those in attendance at Kirk’s service, which begins at 11 a.m. local time in Glendale, will hear from Republican political heavyweights including President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, close allies, and family members who will pay tribute to the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA.
LIVE UPDATES: MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR CHARLIE KIRK
Kirk’s widow, Erika, will speak about his legacy and her new role at the helm of the powerful national organization he built. The service is anticipated to be both a moment of mourning and a declaration of continuity, signaling how his movement intends to carry forward without its founder.
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK
Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10 during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. The gathering was the first stop on TPUSA’s planned “American Comeback Tour,” and, at first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
The charismatic Kirk, known for his signature debates on college campuses, sat beneath a white tent emblazoned with the slogan “Prove Me Wrong,” taking open-mic questions from a crowd of thousands. Moments later, a single shot ended his life.
SCRUTINY INTENSIFIES OVER SECURITY LAPSES SURROUNDING CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING
In the wake of his death, many Americans are learning for the first time of the unlikely rise of the young activist who vaulted from obscurity in suburban Illinois to become a defining voice for a generation of conservatives and one of the movement’s most formidable power brokers.
At 18, Kirk dropped out of community college to co-found Turning Point USA. By his mid-20s, he became the youngest speaker at the Republican National Convention in 2016 and a household name in conservative circles. By 31, he commanded a $95 million political empire, galvanized millions of followers online and established a direct line to Trump.
CHARLIE KIRK DROPPED OUT OF COLLEGE AND BY 31 BUILT A $95M POLITICAL EMPIRE WITH A DIRECT LINE TO TRUMP
His death leaves behind an energetic movement that indisputably reshaped conservative youth politics.
With backing from Republican donors like Foster Friess, Kirk turned the scrappy campus operation into one of the fastest-growing conservative nonprofits in America. Today, it’s a political juggernaut — its revenue, according to tax filings, soared from just $2 million in 2015 to $85 million in 2024.
Add in revenue from its political action arm, Turning Point Action, and the haul climbs well above $95 million.
After his death, TPUSA has seen a massive surge in inquiries for new college chapters as the organization works to advance Kirk’s vision.
‘THIS IS THE TURNING POINT:’ TPUSA SAYS CAMPUS CHAPTER REQUESTS SURGE AFTER KIRK’S ASSASSINATION
Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” said the organization has received more than 54,000 requests to establish new campus chapters in the week since the assassination — a surge that would add to its existing network of 900 nationwide.
He also told Fox News Digital that he has “personally received hundreds of offers to work” for TPUSA.
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Kirk’s widow, recently tapped to head the organization, vowed to carry on her husband’s mission in her first public comments since his death.
“To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die,” Kirk said on Sept. 12. “I refuse to let that happen. No one will ever forget my husband’s name. And I will make sure of it. It will become stronger. Bolder. Louder and greater than ever,” she added.
Kirk said that TPUSA’s annual “AmericaFest” conference in Phoenix this December will continue as scheduled.
WILLIAM BENNETT: My son’s sad confession after Charlie Kirk’s murder
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”
William Butler Yeats wrote those words about Europe after the Great War, but they ring with terrible clarity this week as we bury Charlie Kirk, murdered at 31 for the crime of arguing in public. The young man who built an empire of discourse from a suburban garage has been silenced by someone who apparently found bullets more persuasive than words.
But here is what strikes me as I reflect on this tragedy: Charlie Kirk may have been the last American who genuinely believed you could change someone’s mind with a good argument. Think about that. When was the last time you saw someone actually switch positions during a debate? When did you last witness someone say three of the most treasured words in the English language: “I was wrong?”
‘FEARLESS’ TOUR TAKES CHARLIE KIRK’S FREE SPEECH MISSION TO COLLEGES NATIONWIDE
My younger son understood this belief. He called me after Kirk’s death and shared something that possibly captured our national descent. “Dad,” he said, “I used to be like Charlie Kirk— I used to think people could be persuaded with reason.”
My son learned otherwise during the 2016 election, while in graduate school. He started getting several calls a day from classmates wanting to understand how he could support someone they genuinely believed was the modern-day equivalent of Hitler. These graduate students—educated, intelligent people pursuing MBAs—literally thought Trump was on par with Hitler and were calling my son because they could not reconcile how someone like him could support such evil.
So, in good faith, he engaged everyone who contacted him. From his own account: “I came to business school to learn things like accounting, not to practice defending myself from being called a Nazi. I lost friends through this period, and it ended up being one of the hardest times of my life.”
Let me advance an unconventional thesis: Charlie Kirk died because we have forgotten how to hate properly. G.K. Chesterton observed that “the true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind [or next to] him.” We fight not for hatred of our enemies but love of our fellow soldiers and the ideals of our country. We have inverted this wisdom. We teach our young people to hate their opponents rather than love their own principles. We have made politics a blood sport precisely because we have drained it of transcendent meaning. When you believe in nothing greater than your own righteousness, the only thing left is to destroy those who challenge your certainty.
As my son lost friends, he did something quite understandable. Shortly after Trump’s election, he stopped actively participating in politics—watching the news, talking about it with friends, and reading the articles he used to read daily. “I found myself getting physically uncomfortable when the news came on,” he told me. “Defending yourself against being called a Nazi, racist, sexist, endlessly just for communicating relatively common-sense ideas like boys go to the boys’ bathroom and girls go to the girls’ bathroom, or that throwing Molotov cocktails into police cars is a bad idea (something a classmate of his actually did during the George Floyd protests) just gets really draining after a while.”
My son learned a hard, unfortunate lesson during graduate school, one countless other students have learned in recent years. The modern university, where Kirk met his end, has become the opposite of what John Henry Newman envisioned when he wrote “The Idea of a University.” Newman imagined institutions where “a habit of mind is formed which lasts through life, of which the attributes are freedom, equitableness, calmness, moderation, and wisdom.” Instead, we have created factories of fragility, where students pay $70,000 a year to have their prejudices confirmed and their triggers avoided.
The founders would have recognized Charlie immediately. Franklin with his junto, Hamilton with his newspapers, Jefferson with his correspondence, they all understood that democracy is an argument, not an answer. Madison wrote in Federalist 10 about the dangers of faction, but he never imagined we would solve the problem of faction with assassination.
Here is another unconventional thought: The problem is not that our universities are too political. They are not political in the classical sense of “political” that Aristotle meant when he called man a political animal. The university problem is that they are factories of indoctrination, especially in the liberal arts. Real politics requires engagement with difference, the ability to live alongside those you disagree with, the skill of persuasion rather than coercion. Our campuses have replaced politics with theology, and a particularly intolerant theology at that.
We have made the cost of conviction so high that capable, principled people retreat from public engagement entirely.
My son concluded his reflection with words that haunt me: “In those moments, having made the wrong choice at that juncture many times before, I hope I have the conviction and bravery to live it like Charlie and live it like Bill.” He meant Charlie Kirk, of course. The other Bill he referenced was his father — me. I am humbled by the comparison but troubled by his confession. While he admittedly tossed his hat out of the ring, and entered the non-political world of finance, he has found his comfort and happiness. But at what cost to our society?
This is what we have done to our young people. We have made the cost of conviction so high that capable, principled people retreat from public engagement entirely. We have created a world where it is safer to be silent than to speak, safer to conform than to question, safer to hide than to stand. There is a certain relief in that. But it does not come without a cost.
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The question before us is not whether we will have more Charlie Kirks—young people willing to brave hostility for their beliefs. We will. The question is whether we will have more like my son—capable people who retreat from public engagement because the cost has become too high. Few of the brightest people I know dream of entering politics—they dream of venture capital, private equity, the places where talent can still flourish without ideological inquisition. It makes brutal sense: Make enough money, and perhaps you can affect the change you want to see in society, safely insulated from the mob.
If we cannot make America safe for argument again—not just civil argument, but vigorous, passionate, even angry argument—then we should stop pretending we live in a democracy. In its literal etymological sense, democracy means “power of the people”—today it feels more like power of the perpetually aggrieved. If you are not consumed with rage, you are at home raising your family and going to work. So radical political movements naturally attract the angriest among us, not necessarily the wisest.
Charlie Kirk is dead at 31, but the idea he represented—that Americans can argue their way to truth rather than shoot their way to silence—must not die with him. My son’s generation deserves better than the choice between silence and death. They deserve what Charlie Kirk tried to give them: a place at the table, a voice in the conversation, and the right to speak without being murdered for it. Our children and grandchildren deserve it.
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Trump discusses ‘tough day’ ahead as he departs White House for Kirk’s memorial
President Donald Trump praised the late Charlie Kirk on Sunday as he departed the White House to head to Kirk’s memorial service in Glendale, Arizona.
“We’re going to celebrate the life of a great man today. Really a great man, he’s a young man, but a great man. And we look forward to it. It really is, we want to look at it as a time of healing,” Trump said.
“That something like this could have happened is not even believable,” Trump added. “We’ll have a very interesting day. Very tough day.”
For Pastor David Engelhardt, Charlie Kirk wasn’t just a national figure — he was a friend, disciple and man whose faith fueled his public mission and private life.
“Charlie was a man of incredible strength. His name, Charlie Kirk, means strong church, and I always told him, ‘Charlie, you strengthen churches all over the country…’” Engelhardt said while paying tribute to the slain conservative activist on September 11th, 2025.
“He wasn’t shy about his faith. He wasn’t avoidant, afraid that it would offend people. That’s why he’s a hero, because he was courageous, and he wasn’t demeaning to other people about their position, but he was a strong man of faith.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Taylor Penley.
Fox News host Jesse Watters explains what made Charlie Kirk special to Americans on ‘Charlie Kirk: An American Original.’
Charlie Kirk looked “like he’d died happy” according to Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, when she saw him in the hospital following the fatal shooting at Utah Valley University. Her reaction was published in an interview with the New York Times on Sunday.
“His eyes were semi-open,” Erika Kirk told the newspaper. “And he had this knowing, Mona Lisa-like half-smile. Like he’d died happy. Like Jesus rescued him. The bullet came, he blinked, and he was in heaven.”
Erika Kirk said President Donald Trump called her twice since her husband’s assassination and said, “just let us know how we can support you.”
“I told him, ‘My husband just loved conversing with you and using you as a sounding board for all sorts of things. Could we continue that?’ And he said, ‘Of course,’” Erika Kirk recalled.
The night before Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University, he and Erika had dinner with a friend in the Phoenix area who was a faith leader, according to The New York Times.
The newspaper reported that the purpose of the meal was to pray for Charlie’s upcoming “The American Comeback Tour” of college campuses.
During the dinner, Erika Kirk suggested to her husband that he start wearing a bulletproof vest, while the friend mentioned he could start speaking behind bulletproof glass, according to The New York Times.
“Not yet,” the newspaper quoted Kirk as saying, adding that – despite receiving numerous death threats over the past year – he felt confident in his security team and that there would be additional security measures in place at the Utah Valley University event.
Lee Brice paid tribute to Charlie Kirk during one of his shows.
During a performance in Clearwater, Florida, Sept. 11, the country music star dedicated his song, “When The Kingdom Comes” to Kirk, telling the crowd that while he usually plays a different song at that point in the show, he wanted to do something for Kirk and “what he so adamantly stood for.”
In a recent appearance on “The Will Cain Show,” Brice explained why he chose to honor Kirk the way he did.
“The most special songs that I’ve ever written and what I knew Charlie stood for as far as his faith,” he said. “And really, even in all those debates and all the things, he had so much respect, you know, even with college kids, you know, he, he always was, had a Jesus-like manner.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Lori Bashian.
With Sunday’s focus on the memorial for Charlie Kirk in Glendale, Arizona — an event that more than 100,000 people are expected to attend — University of Alabama students remembered Kirk for his faith and inspiration on Wednesday in their own ceremony.
A number of speakers took to the stage to address his legacy.
Former reality TV star Savannah Chrisley, conservative activist CJ Pearson, and political commentator Alexis Wilkins all spoke.
Also making an address was Kieghan Nangle, 22, executive assistant to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Nangle, an Alabama alum, said Erika Kirk’s strength has been and will continue to be an inspiration for scores of young women.
“Charlie’s wonderful wife, Erika, needs an army behind her, and every person in this country has what it takes to rise to that occasion,” Nangle said in her speech.
“If Erika could stand before the world with power and bravery, just 48 hours after the love of her life and the father of her children were taken from her, then each of us can do our part to stand behind her and carry on Charlie’s legacy,” said Nangle.
“The Charlie Kirk Show” executive producer Andrew Kolvet told Fox News he hopes the memorial service today will be a “chance to tell the world” things they didn’t know about the late conservative activist.
Kolvet, speaking to Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures,” said, “There’s almost not enough books or ink you could spill on the life of Charlie Kirk
and all the things that people still don’t know about him.”
“And I hope that today we’re going to get a chance to tell the world about the things they didn’t know about Charlie. And, yeah, celebrate the things that they’re now discovering about Charlie, because so much, you know, there were so many lies,” Kolvet continued. “There was so much division and the political combat of it all. But at the core of who Charlie was and what his legacy will be is a good man, a decent man, a great leader.”
“You know, very rarely do you get to work with somebody that’s that hard charging. And you love him more and more and more, and you realize what he was able to draw out of you,” Kolvet also said. “And that’s why we were able to pull off an event that should take six months to plan in about a week.”
Vice President JD Vance describes Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s
legacy while addressing a crowd in Michigan on September 17th, 2025.
Video showed cars lined up on roads heading to State Farm Stadium ahead of Charlie Kirk’s memorial service.
The footage, taken earlier this morning, showed bumper-to-bumper traffic in Glendale, Arizona.
Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are among those set to speak later today.
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”
William Butler Yeats wrote those words about Europe after the Great War, but they ring with terrible clarity this week as we bury Charlie Kirk, murdered at 31 for the crime of arguing in public. The young man who built an empire of discourse from a suburban garage has been silenced by someone who apparently found bullets more persuasive than words.
But here is what strikes me as I reflect on this tragedy: Charlie Kirk may have been the last American who genuinely believed you could change someone’s mind with a good argument. Think about that. When was the last time you saw someone actually switch positions during a debate? When did you last witness someone say three of the most treasured words in the English language: “I was wrong?”
My younger son understood this belief. He called me after Kirk’s death and shared something that possibly captured our national descent. “Dad,” he said, “I used to be like Charlie Kirk— I used to think people could be persuaded with reason.”
This is an excerpt from an op-ed by William Bennett
, a Fox News contributor.
More than 100,000 heavy hearts are set to converge on Arizona’s State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., today to commemorate the life of Charlie Kirk
— the fiery young activist who ignited fierce loyalty, sharp, yet civil debate, and whose shocking assassination has left a movement in mourning.
Those in attendance at Kirk’s service, which begins at 11 a.m. local time in Glendale, will hear from Republican political heavyweights including President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, close allies, and family members who will pay tribute to the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, will speak about his legacy and her new role at the helm
of the powerful national organization he built. The service is anticipated to be both a moment of mourning and a declaration of continuity, signaling how his movement intends to carry forward without its founder.
Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10 during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. The gathering was the first stop on TPUSA’s planned “American Comeback Tour,” and, at first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
The charismatic Kirk, known for his signature debates on college campuses, sat beneath a white tent emblazoned with the slogan “Prove Me Wrong,” taking open-mic questions from a crowd of thousands. Moments later, a single shot ended his life.
In the wake of his death, many Americans are learning for the first time of the unlikely rise of the young activist who vaulted from obscurity in suburban Illinois to become a defining voice for a generation of conservatives and one of the movement’s most formidable power brokers.
Those currently waiting outside State Farm Stadium to get into Charlie Kirk’s memorial service told Fox News they traveled from all over the U.S. and the world to be there today to pay tribute to the late conservative activist.
“We love Charlie Kirk,” said Patty, a mother who traveled with her daughter Sarah from Fort Worth, Texas. “He made such a big impact on the entire world, but on my heart… we’ve just been watching him for years.”
“Charlie changed the world. This literally is the turning point,” she added.
David Crawford told “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Griff Jenkins that he left Northern Ireland yesterday morning to travel to Glendale, Arizona.
Crawford said he saw an interview from Erika Kirk that, “really, really touched my heart.”
“Those 13 minutes, what she spoke, and the love she had for her husband on the stand that that he took for truth and righteousness, I believe,” he said.
Massive crowds are now gathering outside State Farm Stadium for Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Glendale, Arizona.
Around 100,000 people are expected to attend the event, both at the NFL stadium and an overflow arena.
President Donald Trump praises late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s ‘incredible’ following in an exclusive interview with ‘The Story’ that aired on September 18th, 2025.
Conservative influencer Riley Gaines told “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday that she feels “inspired” by the turnout already for Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Glendale, Arizona.
Crowds have camped out overnight and cars are lining up Sunday to get into the event at State Farm Stadium, which is set to begin at 2 p.m. ET.
“This past, what, ten, 11 days at this point has been filled with all of the emotions. I mean, I really feel emotioned out. I’ve gone through disbelief, shock, grief, sadness, anger, truthfully. But I sit here today and I feel hopeful. I feel inspired to see thousands of people outside the stadium waiting to get in at, like 1:30 in the morning,” Gaines said.
“Just excited for today. And the celebration of life. Erika’s made
it very clear — she doesn’t want this to be viewed as a funeral or a burial or anything like that, but more so as a celebration of life and the legacy that Charlie built, and that we at Turning Point and across the nation will continue to build upon,” Gaines added.
Christian apologist and author Frank Turek
was just feet away when Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University. In a podcast episode, he recounted the Sept. 10 shooting and the frantic rush to the hospital where doctors pronounced the 31-year-old dead.
Kirk first reached out to Turek years ago for mentorship in Christian apologetics, Turek said in the podcast titled “The Greatness of Charlie Kirk: An Eyewitness Account of His Life and Martyrdom.”
Their relationship blossomed, with Turek saying he came to consider Kirk a son.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch.
The House of Representatives adopted a resolution to honor the “life and legacy” of late conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Friday, just over a week after he was shot and killed during a college campus speaking event in Utah.
The measure got bipartisan support in a 310-58 vote, with both Democrats and Republicans having quickly risen to condemn political violence in the wake of Kirk’s assassination.
The vote divided Democrats, however, with 95 lawmakers voting to adopt the resolution, 58 voting against it and 22 not voting at all.
Thirty-eight Democrats also voted “present” on the resolution. The top three House Democrats – Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif. – all voted in favor of the measure.
House Democratic leadership did not expressly tell their caucus how to vote on the resolution but communicated that they would support it, according to two sources familiar with discussions.
The measure to honor Kirk, led by Speaker Mike Johnson,
R-La., lauded the Turning Point USA founder as “one of the most prominent voices in America, engaging in respectful, civil discourse across college campuses, media platforms and national forums, always seeking to elevate truth, foster understanding and strengthen the Republic.”
It also said Kirk’s “commitment to civil discussion and debate stood as a model for young Americans across the political spectrum, and he worked tirelessly to promote unity without compromising on conviction.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind.
A video captured crowds lining up overnight near State Farm Stadium ahead of Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, which is set to begin at 2 p.m. ET.
New footage showed a long row of mourners waiting for their chance to get into the stadium, where doors will open in a few hours. It was recorded around midnight by Stephanie Holmes and circulated by the social news agency, Storyful.
Around 100,000 people are expected to descend on Glendale, Arizona, to pay tribute to the late conservative activist, who was assassinated while speaking on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University.
“This event is first come, first served based on stadium capacity. Indoor overflow will be available next door at the Desert Diamond Arena,” reads the official website for Kirk’s memorial service.
“Please be advised that enhanced security measures are in place, which may result in longer wait times than usual. We appreciate your patience and understanding,” it added.
Conservative leaders and commentators
are reflecting on the life, legacy, and enduring impact of Charlie Kirk, remembering how the Turning Point USA founder shaped a generation of young conservatives and left a lasting mark on the movement.
Turning Point USA is an organization started by Kirk in 2012 with the mission to “identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government,” according to the group’s website.
Fox News Digital spoke with conservative voices Rob Smith, Arynne Wexler, Lily Kate and Amir Odom about the impact of Kirk on their lives and on America.
“I owe kind of basically my entire career in the conservative movement and conservative media to Charlie Kirk,” said Smith, a political commentator.
“I started making a lot of noise on social media. And then I got, you know, connected with Charlie Kirk in Turning Point USA. And so that’s… when my platform really elevated much more beyond, you know, social media to television and speaking,” Smith said.
Smith credits his career to Kirk.
“I wouldn’t be doing anything that I’m doing if it weren’t for him. If it weren’t for him seeing something in me,” he said.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Heckman.
Fox News correspondent Matt Finn reported Sunday that security is ramping up in the early morning as Charlie Kirk’s memorial service is just hours away from beginning at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
“We are feeling the intensifying security here. Roadblocks in every direction, law enforcement all around,” Finn told “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
“At least 100,000 people expected not only here at the stadium but also across the street at the overflow,” he added.
A no-fly zone will be in effect for the stadium and the surrounding municipalities.
President Donald Trump is set to depart Washington this morning to head to Arizona, where he will speak at Kirk’s memorial service later today.
Turning Point USA Faith senior director Lucas Miles told “Fox Report” he is seeing a “mass revival” of Christianity following Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
“This is what we believe as Christians. That what the enemy intends for evil, God brings good out on the other side. And we are seeing that right now. Mass revival, church attendance is exploding across the country. Many churches reported double attendance,” Miles said.
As for Turning Point USA, Miles described its new leader, Erika Kirk, as an “incredible” person.
“She knows what she is doing, she is well-received here, I think she is an instant stabilizing force for the organization. I talked to a lot of staff this week, everybody was very excited with the news. Our board is tremendous, our C-suite is tremendous. Erika is going to have a lot of support and she’s going to do a great job,” Miles said.
“Like in typical Charlie Kirk fashion, we are ready to move forward and keep this vision going,” he added.
The White House released an emotional video tribute to Charlie Kirk featuring excerpts from a speech his widow, Erika, gave in the wake of his assassination in which she declared, “You have no idea the fire that you have ignited.”
“Charlie always said that when he was gone, he wanted to be remembered for his courage and for his faith,” Erika Kirk is heard saying as the video displayed scenes of memorials and vigils held for Kirk around the U.S. “Now and for all eternity, he will stand at his Savior’s side, wearing the glorious crown of a martyr.”
“The evildoers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done,” she added. “They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith, and of God’s merciful love. They should all know this: If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea. You have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country, in this world. You have no idea.”
The clip also features Erika Kirk vowing: “The movement my husband built will not die. It won’t. I refuse to let that happen.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman.
As security preparations intensify for Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona, a former NYPD detective and security consultant warns mourners to remain alert.
“Pull your face out of your phone, put it in your pocket. Pay attention,” Pat Brosnan urged.
The memorial at State Farm Stadium, is expected to draw an enormous crowd. Officials estimate that more than 100,000 people may gather in and around the venue, including attendees inside the 63,000-seat stadium and overflow areas outside.
“From the moment you arrive… have your eyes wide open… who’s to your right, who’s to your left, who’s behind you? What are they doing?” Brosnan told Fox News Digital. “Eyes in the backs and the sides of your head.”
According to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by ABC News, authorities are “tracking several threats of unknown credibility.”
“Violent extremists and unaffiliated lone offenders may view the memorial service or related events as attractive attack targets due to the attendance of these individuals, other senior U.S. government officials, state and local government officials, and political activists and due to major international media attention,” the memo reportedly says.
The Department of Homeland Security
has designated Kirk’s memorial service a Level 1 Special Event, the highest possible rating, matching Super Bowl-level security planning.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price, Ashley Papa and Michael Ruiz.
President Donald Trump
spoke candidly about the late Charlie Kirk during remarks at the American Cornerstone Institute Founder’s Dinner on Saturday night, calling him “a great man” and a central part of his political movement.
“Tomorrow we’re honoring a great man, Charlie Kirk,” Trump told the audience. “We’re honoring somebody that’s been with us right from the beginning. He had an army, and he loved what we were doing so much.”
Trump recalled Kirk’s energy and persistence, recounting how the Turning Point USA founder would press him to make appearances even on short notice. “He’d say, ‘President, could you come tomorrow and make a speech?’ I said, ‘Charlie, I’m president, you’ve got to give me a little notice.’ He said, ‘Well, would it be possible, they’d love to see you?’ Usually I tried to do it too. He was unbelievable.”
The president described Kirk’s influence on young conservatives and the deep sense of loss among his supporters. “He had just an army of young people. They loved him so much. I mean, they’re devastated right now. Everybody is devastated.”
Trump said he would attend Sunday’s memorial in Arizona to honor Kirk, though he admitted “there are no words to really describe what happened. It should never have happened to him.”
Turning Point USA released guidelines Saturday night for those attending Charlie Kirk’s memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Arizona on Sunday, including a patriotic dress code and a strict no-bag policy.
The organization has asked that all memorial attendees wear their “Sunday Best” in the preferred color scheme of red, white or blue.
Parking at the stadium will be free, but limited, so carpooling is recommended by TPUSA if able.
A strict no-bag policy will be in effect on Sunday, TPUSA said. Guests who show up with bags, even the clear bags typically allowed at the stadium, will not be allowed to enter the memorial.
“You will be required to return the bag to your vehicle and rejoin the line from the end,” the organization said.
Doors to the service will open at 8 a.m. local time and seats at the memorial will be “first come, first served” and based on stadium capacity. There will be indoor overflow available at Desert Diamond Arena next door, according to TPUSA.
The organization said patience and understanding will be appreciated on Sunday as wait times may be long due to “enhanced security measures.”
TPUSA also asked that flowers and other material items not be brought to the stadium, and instead, delivered to their headquarters on East Beverly Road in Phoenix. In lieu of flowers. donations to TPUSA are welcomed.
Kirk, who founded the organization in 2012, was assassinated on Sept. 10 while hosting a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University.
Omar questions CNN host during tense exchange over Charlie Kirk assassination
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., sparred with CNN host Kaitlan Collins on Friday over a video the liberal lawmaker shared on social media and her remarks about Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk.
Collins pressed Omar on why she reposted a video that said, “Kirk was Dr. Frankenstein and his monster shot him through the neck.”
“Because there were a lot of things in the video that I did agree with. Obviously, we share videos. We don‘t have to agree with every single word, but I do believe he was a reprehensible, hateful man. Like, that is my view of the words that he has said about every single identity that I belong to. He didn‘t believe that we should have equal access to anything. He also just didn’t even believe I could be smart enough, I could have thoughts that could be equal to a White man. Where are we missing this conversation about who this man was and the things that he said?”
Singling out Collins, Omar asked, “How do you not… find that reprehensible, Kaitlan?”
Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10 while speaking at a campus event in Utah.
ABC REPORTER CALLS CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN’S TEXT MESSAGES WITH TRANSGENDER PARTNER ‘VERY TOUCHING’
The lawmaker turned the question back to Collins, who said, “Of course, I don’t subscribe to that.”
Omar asked Collins, “You think I don’t have the brain processing power like you or a White man?” The CNN host said, “Of course not” as Omar asked her if she would find that reprehensible.
“I’m not asking why you think he’s reprehensible. I think you’re obviously allowed to have your own views. That’s why we have you on here so often. Because we like to hear your views and what you think on something. I just think it was the video where it called him Dr. Frankenstein and said his monster shot him through the neck. I mean, obviously, this is a person. And looking at this, this is someone who was a husband and a father. And in the days after his shocking death, that happened as a result of his views or happened as a result as he was sharing his views publicly with people, that people found it jarring to hear such criticism of that in the immediate aftermath of his death,” Collins said.
Omar said she found it jarring that people wanted to memorialize Kirk and excuse “reprehensible things” that he said.
PHIL MICKELSON CONDEMNS REP. ILHAN OMAR FOR CHARLIE KIRK INSULTS: ‘HOPEFULLY SHE’LL BE SENT BACK TO SOMALIA’
“It is one thing to care about his life, because obviously so many people loved him, including his children and wife. But I am not going to sit here and be judged for not wanting to honor any legacy this man has left behind, that should be in the dustbin of history, and we should hopefully move on and forget the hate that he spewed every single day,” Omar continued.
Omar was criticized over an interview she did with Zeteo’s Mehdi Hasan after Kirk’s assassination.
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Omar expressed condolences for Kirk’s family but went on to criticize him during the interview.
“But what I do know for sure is that Charlie Kirk was someone who once said, ‘Guns save lives’ after a school shooting,” Omar said. “Charlie was someone who was willing to debate and downplay the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police … downplay slavery and what Black people have gone through in this country by saying Juneteenth should never exist.”
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Omar went on to lament that there are a “lot of people who are out there talking” about Kirk “just wanting to have a civil debate,” prompting Hasan to interject and call it a “complete rewriting of history.”
‘We will find you’: AG Bondi warns attackers after Kirk, refugee murders
Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed swift justice after Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the shocking murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, warning would-be copycats that federal authorities will “find you, catch you, and prosecute you.”
“Look at the work the FBI did with ATF on Charlie’s assassination. How quickly the FBI had someone in custody for this murder, so we will find you, we will catch you, and we will prosecute you,” Bondi said during “My View with Lara Trump” on Saturday.
“I think that’s a huge deterrent because I think a lot of people think they can get away with it, and they can’t.”
BONDI SAYS ERA OF ‘RADICAL LEFT’ NORMALIZING POLITICAL VIOLENCE ‘IS OVER’ AFTER CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION
Bondi, whose recent “hate speech” remarks drew criticism from conservatives, drew a sharp line between protected speech and unlawful incitement, telling Fox News host Lara Trump the Justice Department is ready to go after those who cross the line into violence.
“You can be hateful all day long, but if you’re going to attack someone and have the ability to do that and say things to carry it out, we are coming for you.”
She emphasized that Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk’s death had not silenced him, calling celebrations of his murder “disgusting” and stressing that it had the opposite effect by energizing his supporters.
PAM BONDI CLARIFIES ‘HATE SPEECH’ COMMENTS AFTER GETTING BLOWBACK
“I don’t think they knew what they unleashed when they assassinated Charlie,” she said.
“Look at all the Turning Point chapters that are coming up around this country already. I’ve had my friends’ daughters reaching out to me, wanting to start Turning Point chapters. I didn’t even know they were conservative.”
“You know what else?” Bondi continued. “Charlie was a Christian. We know Charlie is in heaven. Charlie was Bible-based, and so is Erika… look at Erika Kirk and what she is about to accomplish and what all of Charlie’s friends are going to accomplish.”
The cases surrounding Kirk’s and Zarutska’s murders are ongoing, with suspects Tyler Robinson and Decarlos Brown Jr. in custody.
Prosecutors in Utah have indicted Robinson on first-degree murder and are seeking the death penalty, while federal authorities weigh additional charges. In Zarutska’s case, the Justice Department has confirmed that the death penalty remains “on the table” after her killing on public transit in Charlotte, North Carolina, back in August.
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President Donald Trump previously slammed Bondi for “all talk, no action” while pressuring her to prosecute adversaries in since-deleted Truth Social post.
The president namely called for charges against former FBI Director James Comey, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“Pam: I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, “same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam “Shifty” Schiff, Leticia??? They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done.”
Trump later added that Bondi could not delay prosecutorial action against his opponents any longer, noting “It’s killing our reputation and credibility.”
“They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” he wrote.
After deleting the post, Trump sent out another, commending Bondi for her “careful” work over the last eight months.
When pressed by reporters, Trump denied being angry with Bondi, saying he simply wants people to “act fast.”
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s prior request for comment.
Gunman yelled ‘Free Palestine’ before deadly wedding shooting: witness
The shooter who killed a man and wounded two other adults during a wedding at a New Hampshire country club on Saturday yelled “Free Palestine” as the chaos unfolded, a witness told The Associated Press.
Tom Bartelson of Pepperell, Massachusetts, told the outlet that he was at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, New Hampshire, for his nephew’s wedding when he heard the individual say, “The children are safe,” and, “Free Palestine.” Bartelson added that the shooter appeared to be targeting someone.
“Getting together for a dance for the bride and groom and then all chaos went off,” he said. “We heard about six shots and everybody ducked for cover and next thing you know we’re rushed into safe spots and things like that.”
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office identified the suspect as 23-year-old Hunter Nadeau. He is accused of fatally shooting 59-year-old Steven DeCesare. Authorities said there is no known connection between the two men.
MULTIPLE PEOPLE SHOT AT NEW HAMPSHIRE COUNTRY CLUB, ONE SUSPECT IN CUSTODY: POLICE
Nadeau is also accused of shooting and wounding two other adults. Authorities did not immediately identify or provide an update on the conditions of the wounded victims.
The suspect was detained at the scene and taken into custody.
Nadeau is charged with one count of second-degree murder for knowingly shooting DeCesare, the attorney general’s office said.
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“Additional charges likely will be brought, including for the additional shooting victims,” Attorney General John M. Formella said in a news release.
Investigators were still working to determine a motive, New Hampshire Senior Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley said.
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Nadeau is expected to be arraigned Monday at the Ninth Circuit Court in Nashua.
NATO allies brace for uncertain future as concerns over war with Russia escalate
NATO has been on high alert since Russia invaded Ukraine more than three and a half years ago, but a recent spike in the alliance’s airspace violations has security experts increasingly concerned that warnings of war with Moscow are no longer theoretical, but inevitable.
President Donald Trump on Thursday said the U.S. could “end up in World War III” over Russia’s war in Ukraine and conceded that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “let him down” over his refusal to end his military campaign.
One day later, Russia sent three fighter jets over Estonia’s capital city of Tallinn in a direct and clear violation of its airspace, prompting another NATO member to spark Article 4 for the second time in as many weeks.
RUSSIAN JETS VIOLATE ESTONIAN AIRSPACE, FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS
“Russia is testing NATO again— dozens of drones in Poland last week, drones in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and now fighter jets in Estonian skies. These are deliberate provocations,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene told Fox News Digital. “They are deliberate tests—tests of our readiness, our resolve, and of the limits of our deterrence.”
Sakaliene said the Friday violation was just the latest in “an escalating pattern of pressure by Russia.”
“For Estonia, for Poland, for Lithuania, for all of NATO’s eastern flank, this is a direct threat—not just to territorial integrity, but to citizen safety,” she added.
The Lithuanian defense minister warned that the biggest line of defense NATO holds right now, apart from its actual military readiness, is showing a united front to dissuade Moscow from taking direct action against a NATO member and prompting what could become a global war.
“Our biggest risk currently is miscalculation by Russia,” Sakaliene said. “Does Russia believe that NATO will not allow violations of its territory? Does Russia believe that Europe is going to strike back together with [the] United States?
“That’s now the last line of defense between if and when [war with Russia happens],” she added.
TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY TO MEET AS POLAND PRESSURES NATO ON NO FLY ZONE OVER UKRAINE
Concern over direct NATO conflict with Moscow escalated earlier this month after a swarm of at least 19 Russian drones not only flew over Polish airspace, but forced a multi-nation response when NATO, for the first time since the war began, fired upon Russian assets and brought down as many as four drones that posed a threat.
While Trump suggested that the drone swarm could have been a mistake, Poland refuted this and said it was “deliberate” and a “planned provocation.”
Drone strikes have long been a favored wartime tool of Russia’s in its operation against Ukraine, with the number of strikes peaking in July with some 6,297 long-range drones fired across the country.
That figure dipped to 4,216 drones fired in August. Though notably, the majority of those UAVs were fired between Aug. 16th and the 31st, when some 3,001 drones were deployed beginning the day after Trump met with Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15.
An American company, which sat less than 30 miles from two other NATO nations, Hungary and Slovakia, was also hit with “several” cruise missiles in late August.
“The scope of air attacks from Russia to Ukraine is really rising. They are using more drones, more rockets, and they are still expected to rise,” Sakaliene said.
“We have to admit and adapt to this new reality. High intensity war by Russia against Ukraine is ongoing,” the defense minister said. “That means that more and more UAVs are going to wander off into the territories of the bordering countries, and even further.”
Russia has increasingly turned to gray-zone tactics, which involve incidents that fall below the threshold of open warfare, but which allow Russia to test NATO’s resolve and response capabilities.
Over the last month, Poland saw three separate incidents in which its airspace was violated by Russian drones, including UAVs carrying explosive components that crossed into its airspace from both Ukraine and Belarus.
TRUMP DEMANDS NATO ALLIES HALT RUSSIAN OIL PURCHASES BEFORE NEW US SANCTIONS
Just three days after the drone swarm bombarded Polish air defense systems, a Russian drone crossed into Romanian airspace and prompted a French fighter jet and Polish helicopter to respond under NATO’s Operation Eastern Sentry – a defensive posture the alliance launched just one day prior.
These events came after Lithuania in late July was forced to sound the alarm following two separate incidents in which Russian Gerber drones violated its borders, including one which was carrying explosives.
But these tactics are not the only threats that security experts in recent weeks have flagged as concerning behavior from Moscow.
Earlier this month, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) based in Washington, D.C. drew attention to an op-ed published by former Russian president and current Security Council chair Dmitry Medvedev on Sept. 8 in the state-sponsored news outlet TASS, which used language that directly mirrored rhetoric by the Kremlin in the lead up to its invasion of Ukraine.
In his article, Medvedev accused Finland of being “Russophobic” and claimed, “the thirst for profit at the expense of Russia was installed in Finnish minds back in the days of Hitler.”
He further claimed that Helsinki has attempted to erase the “historical and cultural identity” of ethnic Russians and said joined NATO under the “guise” of defense, but in actuality, was covertly preparing for war against Russia, reported the ISW.
Medvedev’s comments were not stand-alone threats. Multiple Kremlin officials, including Putin who said “there will be problems” after Finland joined NATO, have claimed the alliance will use Finland as a “springboard” to attack Russia.
“Russia has been steadily setting conditions to attack NATO over the past several years: Moscow is standing up new divisions and optimizing its command and control headquarters on NATO’s eastern flank,” George Barros, Senior Russia Analyst with ISW told Fox News Digital. “The Kremlin information warfare apparatus is fabricating claims and justifications for why Finland, the Baltic States, and Poland are not real countries.
“These are the prerequisite preparations for future war that Moscow is preparing,” he warned.
Sakaliene echoed these concerns and additionally pointed to Russia’s use of “soft power,” often employed through social media and traditional media, to influence public perception, which she warned is “alarmingly effective.”
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“We see a picture of a very aggressive country which is investing a disproportionate amount of its funds into their military capacity,” the defense minister said. “Despite heavy losses every week, every month, they are moving forward in Ukraine, and at the same time, they are expanding their capabilities.
“It raises considerable doubts if all that mass of military power is being accumulated only for Ukraine,” Sakaliene said.
Rick Harrison gets real about Vegas tourism slump amid dramatic dining scene changes
For decades, Las Vegas buffets were a tourist jackpot. Today, food halls are a big draw.
Even “Pawn Stars” boss Rick Harrison has noticed the evolution of people’s eating habits, calling the buffet’s decline an example of “Darwinism.”
“You know, 100 years ago, lobster was considered poor people’s food, so everything has changed,” Harrison told Fox News Digital in a video interview from his restaurant, Rick’s Rollin Smoke Barbeque & Tavern.
LAS VEGAS BUFFETS ‘A DYING BREED’ AS CASINOS PUSH ‘YOUNGER AND COOLER’ FOOD HALL OPTIONS
The once-famous buffets in Vegas have given way to trendy Strip food halls in recent years.
In 2020, Rio’s Carnival World Buffet closed down before reopening as Canteen Food Hall in 2024.
ARIA Buffet also shuttered in 2020, reopening as Proper Eats Food Hall in 2022.
The Big Top Food Court at Circus Circus, which opened in 2021, replaced a small portion of the venue’s buffet.
Despite the changes, the menu at Harrison’s restaurant leans on barbecue tradition – the kind that takes 16 hours in a smoker.
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“We don’t cut the time,” Harrison saidl. “It’s not 15-and-a-half hours. It’s not 15 hours and 45 minutes. It’s 16 hours, every bit of it.”
Harrison said all the meat at his restaurant is locally sourced.
“We’re kind of known for our burnt ends,” he added. “For people who don’t know what the burnt ends [are], that’s the fatty side of the brisket.”
Harrison said he was born and raised in North Carolina, which he called “mostly the barbecue capital of the world.”
WHY SOME STEAKHOUSES ARE THRIVING WHILE OTHERS CAN’T KEEP DINERS COMING BACK: ‘NOT JUST ABOUT THE FOOD’
His restaurant, which is next to the pawn shop, receives thousands of visitors every day, he said.
“People from overseas don’t know about American barbecue, and when they find out about it, they absolutely love it,” Harrison said.
With tourism numbers down in Vegas, many people have pointed to the expensive pricing, especially when it comes to food.
On that point, Harrison called the $1,000 steak “the most ridiculous thing in the world.”
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“I wouldn’t fall for the gimmicks,” he said, noting there are still places to eat “a good ol’ American steak” for $50 to $80.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority recently released its numbers for July visitors, noting a 12% drop from last year.
There were 3,089,300 visitors in July compared to over 3.5 million last year, while occupancy on the Strip dropped 7% from 86.5% in 2024.
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Harrison attributed the decrease to “people skipping vacations” due to inflation.
The great thing about Vegas, he said, is the variety of food offerings.
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“You have everything from a food court to five-star restaurants,” Harrison said.
“So, it’s a little bit of everything here. … You got something for every budget here.”