Trump turns Kirk's funeral into a rally: "He's a martyr for American freedom"

WashingtonA political rally disguised as a funeral. That was the ceremony this Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix to bid farewell to far-right activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed on September 10 on the campus of Utah Valley University. In a final act of posthumous service, the idol of young Trumpists has become the political martyr that Donald Trump and his followers use to accelerate the persecution of dissidents within the country. "Our great evangelist for American freedom has become immortal," the US president said, in a phrase that denotes how his administration is increasingly aligning itself with conservative Christianity. "He is now a martyr for American freedom."

Eleven days after the activist's murder, the Trump administration has intensified its campaign of harassment against all dissent. Attorney General Pam Bondi questioned the right to freedom of expression; the head of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, forced the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's show, and the president himself has announced that he will declare "terrorist organization" the anti-fascist movement and has already hinted at the idea of revoking the licenses of television stations that provide "negative" coverage of his administration. At the funeral, an even more uninhibited Trump opened up: "For his opponents, Charlie wanted the best for them. This is where I disagree with him. I hate my opponents."

Despite it being Kirk's funeral, Trump ended up turning it more into a campaign rally where he talked about his tariffs than a eulogy. In fact, he did not waste the opportunity to appear before the public upon his arrival and receive applause. A scene reminiscent of his appearances during the Republican convention in the summer. Another image reminiscent of the election campaign, and one that seemed impossible to repeat, was that of Elon Musk sitting in the stands next to Trump. In the spring, the billionaire staged a dramatic break with the president over disagreement over the new tax law—the Big Beautiful Bill—and had in fact announced the creation of a new party following the divorce.

The threat against the media only confirms that, at its core, this entire mobilization by the Trump administration is not about Kirk's memory, but about achieving total control and silencing criticism. Before the alleged perpetrator, Tyler Robinson, had even been arrested, Trump had already found the culprit: "The radical left," he said. Kimmel was suspended because he recalled during a monologue that Robinson comes from a Trumpist family where he was instilled with a passion for guns. In fact, the rifle he allegedly used to kill Kirk was an older model he had inherited from his grandfather.

The Left, the Enemy

Calls to defend "Western civilization" and end the "damage" ravaging it were the keynote of the ceremony. References to "the left" as the bane of this society in need of saving were also present. As were calls to ensure that "the Democrats" and "the media" never forget Kirk's name. The president's son, Donald Trump Jr., even dared to say that the activist embodied the essence of the Trumpist movement: "We do not silence people who disagree with us," he said, precisely overlooking the government's recent decision to suspend Kimmel's show.

Despite demonizing the left as "evil," Vice President JD Vance recast Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata's legendary quote, "Better to die on your feet than live on your knees." "For Charlie, we will remember that it is better to stand up, defend America, and defend the truth, than to die on our knees," said Trump's deputy.

The ceremony began with a speech by Pastor Rob McCoy, co-chair of the faith-based section of the platform Kirk founded, Turning Point USA (TPUSA). Beyond going around college campuses debating anyone who wanted to approach them, Kirk also began mobilizing priests to get involved in politics, especially after the pandemic and after Trump lost his reelection bid in 2020. The activist was openly Christian, and in fact one of the targets of her candied conversations.

Religious quotes about Jesus and biblical metaphors have also been a constant feature of the tribute speeches. Some have even gone so far as to veiledly compare Kirk's death to that of Jesus. "Charlie's wasn't murder, the real word for what he did is sacrifice. [...] Charlie Kirk died for all of you," said Jack Posobiec, a well-known ultra-right activist known for promoting antisemitism and white supremacy. Like Kirk, Posobiec has close ties to the Trump administration and has received invitations from members of the presidential cabinet on official trips. In February, the same influencer He claimed to have traveled with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Ukraine.

A large part of the Trump establishment gathered at the funeral. The US president was accompanied by Vice President JD Vance; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Secretary of Health Robert Kennedy; Secretary of the War Department, until now the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth; Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard; and advisor Stephen Miller. All of them were scheduled to speak, as well as his widow, Erika Kirk, who has taken over as head of TPUSA.

Also in the audience was Matt Gaetz, Trump's controversial nominee for attorney general who was ultimately rejected by the Senate, as well as influencer Far-right activist Laura Loomer, who has close ties to the White House and has recently been in charge of fueling the online campaign targeting people who have publicly criticized Kirk for his homophobic comments.

At 5:30 a.m., hundreds of people were already waiting outside State Farm Stadium to enter the ceremony. Some 100,000 people were expected to watch the event, although the venue has a capacity of 63,400. Throughout the week, the city of Phoenix, where Kirk lived with his family, has become a pilgrimage site for fans who wanted to pay tribute to Kirk.influencerThe TPUSA headquarters in the city has become a makeshift shrine.