Tens of thousands of people gathered in Arizona on Sunday to honor murdered conservative leader Charlie Kirk.
The memorial service drew a massive crowd and featured remarks from political commentator Tucker Carlson.
The event marked one of the largest gatherings in recent memory to commemorate a conservative figure.
Carlson described Kirk as an “evangelist” during his speech to the audience.
He said Kirk’s faith and message were central to both his public life and his private convictions.
Carlson emphasized that Kirk’s leadership was inseparable from his identity as a Christian.
“Charlie would have loved this, not just because he loved large groups of people, but because ultimately he was a Christian evangelist,” Carlson told the attendees.
Carlson called the moment extraordinary.
“This is the most unbelievable thing I think I’ve ever seen. And whatever happens next in America, I hope it’s in this direction because God is here and you can feel it,” he said.
The crowd responded with agreement, reflecting the strong spiritual tone of the gathering.
The commentator highlighted Kirk’s strength in delivering a message that combined faith and conviction. “The main thing about Charlie and his message, he was bringing the gospel to the country,” Carlson said.
He emphasized that Kirk had taken on challenges that many others avoided.
“He was doing the thing that the people in charge hate most, which is calling for them to repent,” Carlson added.
Carlson then compared politics with the Christian gospel, offering a reflection that connected both spheres. “Politics at its core is a process of critiquing other people and getting them to change,” Carlson said.
“Christianity, the gospel message, the message of Jesus, begins with repentance.”
Carlson also spoke about the atmosphere inside the event. “Being in a room with the Holy Spirit humming like a tuning fork. This is the way, right here, this is the way,” he told the audience.
He concluded by reminding the crowd that Kirk’s true legacy lay beneath the surface of his political work. “That is what Charlie Kirk was saying underneath it all,” Carlson said.
WATCH:
During the event, President Donald Trump issued an emotional apology to Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow.
Trump praised Kirk’s legacy but admitted to disagreeing with a central part of his message. “He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them,” Trump said.
“That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them.”
The president continued, “I’m sorry. I am sorry, Erika, but now Erika can talk to me, and the whole group, and maybe they can convince me that that’s not right, but I can’t stand my opponent.”
Resist the Mainstream reported that the crowd erupted just minutes earlier when Erika Kirk stunned the audience by publicly offering forgiveness to the man accused of assassinating her husband.
“Charlie wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life,” Erika said. “That man, that young man, I forgive him.”
