US President Donald Trump was the final speaker at the massive memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sunday. Speaking at the service, Trump referred to Kirk as a “great American hero.”
He described Kirk’s tragic death as the work of a “radicalised, cold-blooded monster”. Kirk was fatally shot on September 10 while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University, and the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, was apprehended by the FBI within 33 hours.
.@POTUS: “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 his views… Charlie wrote back to the staff member saying, ‘I’m not here to FIGHT them—I want them to know them… pic.twitter.com/U0P3houkWY
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 21, 2025
Remembering Kirk’s Character and Message
Trump recalled the day of the incident, highlighting Kirk’s openness to opposing views:
“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… Charlie wrote back to the staff member saying, ‘I’m not here to FIGHT them—I want them to know them and love them…’ In that private moment on his dying day, we find everything we need to know about who Charlie Kirk truly was.”
The president emphasized that the assassination was not only an attack on Kirk but also on the United States: “The gun was pointed at him, but the bullet was aimed at all of us. That bullet was aimed at every one of us.”
Trump added that Kirk was killed for expressing ideas shared by many, but the activist’s message remains alive: “Charlie was killed for expressing the very ideas that virtually everyone in this arena and most other places throughout our country, deeply believed in… his message has not been silenced and is much bigger and louder than before.”
Melania Trump’s Absence
Contrary to expectations, Melania Trump did not attend the funeral. President Trump was joined by his son Eric Trump, along with Cabinet members including Mike Johnson and Susie Wiles. No official reason for Melania Trump’s absence was provided by the White House.
Before departing, Trump said, “We’re going to celebrate the life of a great man today. That something like this could have happened is not even believable. So, we’ll have a very interesting day, very tough day. We want to look at it as a time of healing.”
