Politicians from across the U.S. are set to travel to Arizona Sunday for a memorial service and funeral for conservative activist and suburban Chicago native Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated while speaking at an event at a Utah university earlier this month.
The public memorial service is slated to take place Sunday at State Farm Stadium just outside of Phoenix, Kirk’s nonprofit political youth organization Turning Point USA announced. Doors will open at 8 a.m., and the program is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. CT.
Anyone planning to attend the memorial must register online. (It can also be watched live here)
Kirk was one of President Donald Trump’s biggest supporters and the president is expected to attend the funeral Sunday in Arizona.
The 31-year-old conservative activist was assassinated during an event he was hosting at Utah Valley University in Orem, just north of Provo. A 22-year-old Utah man was arrested when a family member turned him in after seeing photos released by the FBI, authorities said.
Kirk’s body was transported to a Phoenix funeral home on Thursday after arriving in Arizona onboard Air Force Two, the plane reserved for the vice president. Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance escorted Kirk’s casket aboard the aircraft alongside members of Kirk’s family, including his wife, Erika.
Kirk grew up in the Chicago suburbs but most recently resided in Arizona.
The nation has been grappling with Kirk’s assassination and the legacy he left behind, highlighting the deepening political divide in the wake of his killing.
Kirk was seen as an architect of Trump’s 2024 election win, helping to expand the Republican outreach to younger voters. He also was known for provocative statements on race that he used to court Gen Z voters.
At 18, he co-founded Turning Point in the Chicago suburbs with William Montgomery, a tea party activist. They aimed to take their ideas for low taxes and limited government to college campuses. Kirk served as a personal aide to the then-candidate’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., during the general election campaign.
