Erika, Charlie Kirk’s widow, delivered a tribute to nearly 100,000 mourners in Arizona on Sunday, leaving the entire stadium silent. Just 11 days prior, her 31-year-old husband was fatally shot in the neck while presenting at Utah Valley University. The memorial, held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, brought a sea of MAGA hats, American flags, and distraught supporters.
Erika’s message of forgiveness and Donald Trump’s surprise hug were highlights of the event, despite the evident loss. Heartbreaking confession. Erika startled many when she took the stage and forgave her husband’s accused killer, Tyler Robinson, aged 22. “My husband wanted to save young men, just like the one who killed him,” she stated through tears. “I forgive that young man. I forgive him because that is what Christ did and what Charlie would do.
She swore to take up the torch as the new leader of Turning Point USA, adding: “The solution to hatred is not hate. The gospel teaches us to love our enemies and those who persecute us. The keynote speaker, Donald Trump, hailed Kirk as “a martyr now for America’s freedom” and “a great of his generation.” However, he conceded that they did not always agree.
“He didn’t dislike his opponents; he just wanted the best for them. This is where I disagree with Charlie. I despise my opponents and don’t want the best for them.” At the end of his address, Trump hugged Erika. The audience erupted in enthusiasm, but online, people couldn’t quit commenting about Trump’s face.
Videos of the incident became popular on TikTok. One user, @literally_lyd, commented: “We can all read what’s going through his mind, right? Like it isn’t just me? … “What is this timeline?” Others expressed discomfort: “I was crawling out of my skin about how weird it was.” “It’s my fault for having eyes.” “Omg!!! There are things I didn’t need to see.
