Former President Donald Trump appeared emotional during Charlie Kirk’s funeral service in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday. Photos from the State Farm Stadium showed his son, Eric Trump, standing beside him and gently rubbing his back, offering comfort before his speech.
The touching father-son moment quickly went viral on social media.
President @realDonaldTrump and @EricTrump arrive to celebrate the life of Charlie Kirk ❤️🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/k5P4UU6Kgv
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) September 21, 2025
Trump Pays Tribute to Charlie Kirk
Before heading to Arizona, Trump told reporters, “We’re going to celebrate the life of a great man today.”
At the service, Trump joined several other notable figures in honoring Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, who was assassinated during an event at Utah Valley University earlier this month.
Speakers at Charlie Kirk’s Funeral
According to Turning Point USA, the following people spoke at Kirk’s memorial service:
- Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow
- President Donald Trump
- Vice President JD Vance
- Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff
- Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War
- Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
- Donald Trump Jr.
- Tucker Carlson, former Fox News commentator
- Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff
- Sergio Gor, U.S. Ambassador to India nominee
Each of the speakers described Kirk as a fearless leader, a man of faith, and a strong advocate for conservative values.
VP JD Vance Reacts to Assassination
On Monday, Vice President JD Vance spoke about the assassination during a podcast once hosted by Kirk.
“Focused anger, righteous anger, directed for a just cause is one of the most important agents of change in human history,” he said. “And we are going to channel all of the anger that we have over the organized campaign that led to this assassination to uproot and dismantle these terrorist networks.”
Performers at the Memorial Service
The memorial service began at 11 a.m. with worship led by Chris Tomlin, Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham, Kari Jobe Carnes, and Cody Carnes.
Country singer Lee Greenwood and vocalist Steve Amerson also delivered emotional musical tributes in Kirk’s memory.
Charlie Kirk’s Death
Kirk was killed on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. Authorities identified the attacker as 24-year-old Tyler Robinson, who has been charged with aggravated murder.
Trump called Kirk’s death “a tremendous loss for America” and urged his supporters to continue Kirk’s mission.
