Republican lawmakers, conservative leaders and Trump administration officials shared personal stories at a memorial service and prayer vigil Sunday night for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk at the Kennedy Center.
More than 2,000 attendees filled the center to honor Mr. Kirk’s legacy and offer prayers.
Dignitaries who took the stage and delivered remarks and prayers included House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican; National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard; Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt; Kari Lake, senior adviser for the Agency for Global Media; GOP Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Eli Crane of Arizona; and Arizona state Sen. Jake Hoffman, a Republican.
Mr. Johnson described 31-year-old Mr. Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, as an effective leader because of his authentic nature and ability to teach others “so effectively.”
Mr. Johnson said, “Charlie Kirk recruited and trained and educated a generation of happy warriors, and we do well to be reminded that the best way to honor his memory and to honor his unmatched legacy is to live as Charlie did.”
Ms. Leavitt recalled Mr. Kirk’s TPUSA PAC “embraced” her first attempt at a congressional run in 2022 when others in Washington ignored her campaign.
“Most people in this town, pretty much all of the people in this town, did not take me seriously,” she said. “Charlie Kirk, however, did. Charlie and his political PAC, Turning Point Action, immediately embraced me with open arms and endorsed my campaign.”
Mr. Kennedy, who received raucous applause when he walked on to the stage, revealed that it was Mr. Kirk who was the key to bringing him and Mr. Trump together, and that his 17-year-old niece, who recently left for college, packed a Bible and told her mother that she “wanted to be like Charlie Kirk.”
“I did [Charlie’s] podcast. We were soulmates. We were spiritual brothers, and we were friends, and over the next couple of years, our friendship blossomed,” he said. “He ended up being the primary architect of my unification with President Trump.”
Worship music was provided by Christian recording artist Sean Feucht who led the crowd singing “Amazing Grace” and “How Great is Our God.”
The event was pulled together by two former Turning Point USA team members, Malia Shirley and Charlotte Perez, along with 80 volunteers, within 48 hours.
Prayer vigils honoring Mr. Kirk have sprouted up across the country and the world following his assassination Wednesday at a Utah Valley University event.
In a social media post, Turning Point USA official Andrew Kolvet announced the organization has been flooded with requests to launch new campus chapters for high school and college students — more than 32,000 inquiries in 48 hours.
Turning Point USA currently has about 900 college chapters and 1,200 high school chapters.
“Charlie’s vision to have a Club America chapter (our high school brand) in every high school in America (around 23,000) will come true much, much faster than he could have ever possibly imagined,” Mr. Kolvet said.
Erika Kirk, Mr. Kirk’s widow, said Turning Point USA’s campus tour will go forward. It is scheduled to be at Colorado State University in Fort Collins on Sept. 18.
A public memorial service for Mr. Kirk is expected to happen in Arizona on Sunday, Sept. 21, Turning Point USA posted on X. The service will be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Mr. Kirk was shot to death Wednesday while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. The killing has led to an uprising of support across the nation and the globe for the 31-year-old conservative activist.
Law enforcement officials arrested Tyler Robinson, 22, of Utah, on charges of murdering Mr. Kirk. Mr. Robinson is expected to be formally charged this week. Law enforcement continues to probe what motivated the shooting suspect.
• Seth McLaughlin contributed to this report.
