Trumpism turns Kirk's funeral into a political rally

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 are fanning for. accelerate the persecution of dissidents within the country.

Despite it being Kirk's memorial, the American president did not miss the opportunity to be seen before an audience that applauded him with devotion. A scene reminiscent of his appearances during the Republican convention in the summer. Another image that he recalled during the electoral campaign, and which seemed impossible, was that of Elon Musk sitting in the podium next to Trump. Last spring, the billionaire staged a dramatic break with the president following the disagreement over the new tax law – the Big Beautiful Bill – and in fact had announced the creation of a new party following the divorce.

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 how the anti-fascist movement into a "terrorist organization" and has already hinted at the idea of revoking the licenses of those television stations that provide "negative" coverage of his administration.

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 of the events, Tyler Robinson, had even been arrested, Trump had already found the culprit: "The radical left." Kimmel was suspended for pointing out during his monologue that Robinson comes from a Trump-supporting 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 scourge of this society that needs to be saved 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, where "people disagree with us, we don't silence them," but rather we debate them. Perhaps the president's son hasn't seen the news about the suspension of Kimmel's show.

Despite demonizing the left as "evil," Vice President JD Vance reworded the legendary phrase of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, "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 come along, 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 his conservative supporters.

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 movement's elite gathered at the memorial. The US president was accompanied by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Health Robert Kennedy, Secretary of the renamed Department of Defense to the War Department, 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. The activist's wife has taken over as director of Turning Point USA (TPSUSA), the platform Kirk set up in 2012 with the aim of extending ultraconservative ideals to college campuses.

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.

By 5:30 a.m., hundreds of people were already waiting outside NFL Stadium to enter the service. Some 100,000 people were expected to attend, 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 point of pilgrimage for fans who wanted to pay tribute to Kirk.influencerThe TPUSA headquarters in the city has become a makeshift shrine.