A crowd of Charlie Kirk supporters gathered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, for a memorial vigil for the conservative political activist on Sunday evening. The event featured speeches by friends of Kirk, members of the Trump administration and Congress.
Here’s what some high-profile speakers said:
- House Speaker Mike Johnson urged the audience of mourners to adopt the Turning Point founder’s principles and approach, insisting that “Charlie loved the vigorous debate, but he loved people more.”
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt praised Kirk’s legacy as one that championed conservative and Christian values and highlighted the impact his organization, Turning Point USA, had on the 2024 election. “President Trump loved you, Charlie, so much too,” Leavitt said. “Charlie was a beaming light in a world that is so consumed by darkness. It’s going to take all of us in this room and all of us across the country to take up Charlie’s torch.”
- Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recalled joining Kirk at visits to college campuses and detailed how he sought out lively debate with those who disagreed with him. “Charlie lived by the principle that no matter how horrible another person’s speech may be, their ideas must be defeated by better ideas, not by resorting to violence,” she said.
- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. described Kirk as the “primary architect” for his “unification” with Trump, calling the conservative activist his “spiritual brother.” Kennedy went on to criticize limits on First Amendment rights he felt took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that “Charlie, more than any figure in our country, led the resistance that has restored freedom of speech to this country.”
