This evening, Polish time, funeral ceremonies for Charlie Kirk will begin in Arizona. The leader of the conservative movement Turning Point USA (TPUSA) was shot dead on September 10 during a speech at the University of Utah. According to media reports, as many as 100,000 people may attend today’s farewell. Among those who have already confirmed their presence are U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. “The participation of American leaders and other influential figures of the Republican Party confirms how important Kirk was for the modern conservative movement and how deeply his death has affected the United States,” said Tomasz Winiarski, an American studies scholar, in an interview with Niezalezna.pl.
On September 10, Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck during a speech at Utah Valley University. He died two hours later in a hospital in Orem. The killer turned out to be 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. The investigation revealed that the murderer had planned the crime. He was fascinated with radical leftist ideology and hated Kirk for his beliefs and views. In text messages to his transgender partner, he revealed that “he would have the chance to kill one of the most important conservatives in the United States.” On the trigger of the rifle used to shoot Kirk, the FBI found traces of his DNA, while the bullets bore leftist slogans.
Robinson was captured after a 33-hour manhunt. During a hybrid hearing last Tuesday, he showed no emotion. The prosecution will seek the death penalty (Utah is one of 27 U.S. states where capital punishment is in force). President Donald Trump has also called for the same sentence.
The funeral ceremony will take place at the stadium in Phoenix. TPUSA has its headquarters in this city – Turning Point USA is an American political organization and social movement founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk. Its main goal is to promote conservative values broadly and to mobilize young people, especially at universities and high schools across the United States, which are the main focus of its activities. Today, TPUSA operates on about 3,500 campuses and has around 900 college chapters and 1,200 high school chapters across the United States.
According to the organization’s representatives, more than 60,000 applications from people wanting to join its activities were received within the first eight days after Kirk’s death.
Meanwhile, American media estimate that up to 100,000 people may take part in today’s ceremony. U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have already confirmed their presence. “Kirk’s death has united the conservative camp,” note commentators.
Today’s funeral at State Farm Stadium in Arizona will not only be a tribute to one of the most important leaders of America’s young conservatives but also a powerful symbol of the strength and unity of the right across the ocean, commented Tomasz Winiarski in an interview with Niezalezna.pl. “The very presence of President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other influential Republican Party figures shows how important Kirk was to the modern conservative movement and how deeply his death has shaken the country,” he added.
Conservative media such as FOX News point out that Kirk’s death, brutally murdered in Utah, has united conservatives beyond previous divisions. “Even former political rivals and factions within the Republican Party, who once competed against each other, are now uniting in defense of the values Kirk stood for – freedom of speech, patriotism, and the active involvement of young people in politics,” the expert stressed.
There is no doubt that the event has taken on an anti-leftist message. In the face of the left openly glorifying violence in connection with the tragic death of the 32-year-old Kirk, the American right has all the more strongly emphasized the need to defend order and civilizational values – not as a call for revenge or a civil war in the U.S., but as a demonstration that conservative movements not only honor their leader but also show that the rights and safety of Americans cannot be ignored by ideological extremism or ongoing political rivalry, he added.
“The scale of Kirk’s funeral ceremonies and Donald Trump’s active participation show that the American right is taking the initiative in the face of leftist attacks and the ambiguous stance of Democratic Party politicians following the events of September 10,” said Winiarski.
Kirk’s funeral may become a turning point, consolidating the conservative base and setting the political course of the United States in the coming years, united around traditional values, the expert believes.
Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has already declared that the work begun by her husband will be continued by her and by the organizations connected with him, stressing that “one must not give up or yield to evil,” she concluded.