Trump, Top Conservatives To Gather Sunday in Arizona To Honor Charlie Kirk

The conservative movement will converge on Glendale, Arizona, this Sunday, September 21, for a historic memorial event honoring Charlie Kirk, the assassinated founder of Turning Point USA. The memorial will take place at State Farm Stadium — home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and past host of the Super Bowl — with tens of thousands expected to fill its 60,000+ seats and overflow areas.

National Leaders To Speak

The tribute will feature a lineup of top national leaders, including:

• President Donald J. Trump

• Vice President J.D. Vance

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio

• Secretary of War Pete Hegseth

• Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk and newly elected CEO and Board Chair of Turning Point USA

President Trump previously praised Kirk as a “martyr for truth and freedom” and announced he would posthumously award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor.

“Charlie inspired millions,” Trump said during a special Oval Office address. “He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people. He’s a martyr for truth and freedom, and there’s never been anyone so respected by youth.”

Erika Kirk: “You Have No Idea What You Just Unleashed”

Erika Kirk, stepping into her husband’s leadership role at Turning Point USA, delivered a powerful message ahead of the memorial.

“The evildoers responsible for my husband’s assassination, they have no idea what they have done,” she declared. “They should all know this: if you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea what you just unleashed across this country.”

With tears and fire in her voice, Erika vowed to carry the torch:

“The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry. The movement my husband built will not die. It won’t. I refuse to let that happen. No one will ever forget my husband’s name, and I will make sure of it.”

Security Tightens After Recent Threats

The Department of Homeland Security has designated the event as a SEAR Level 1 event, the highest federal security rating, comparable to the Super Bowl or a presidential inauguration. This comes after an armed man pretending to be law enforcement was arrested outside the stadium Friday, and bomb threats forced portions of the building into lockdown earlier this week.

A Pivotal Moment for the Conservative Movement

Charlie Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA at just 18 years old, is widely credited as a generational force behind the modern conservative youth movement and a key architect of Trump-era populism. His death has been described by allies as both a tragedy and a rallying cry.

With the movement now in the hands of Erika Kirk and the full backing of the Trump administration, Sunday’s event is expected to be a defining moment — not just of remembrance, but of renewed momentum.

“This is not the end,” Vice President Vance said on Friday. “It’s a new beginning.”