
Tens of thousands attend memorial service for Charlie Kirk
Clip: 9/21/2025 | 5m 55sVideo has Closed Captions
Tens of thousands attend memorial service for conservative leader Charlie Kirk
A massive crowd gathered Sunday in Arizona for the memorial service of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The memorial mixed music, prayer and calls to action, with Trump, Vance and many members of the administration among the speakers. For more on Kirk’s legacy, Ali Rogin speaks with journalist Kyle Spencer, author of “Raising Them Right,” a book about the conservative youth movement.
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Tens of thousands attend memorial service for Charlie Kirk
Clip: 9/21/2025 | 5m 55sVideo has Closed Captions
A massive crowd gathered Sunday in Arizona for the memorial service of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The memorial mixed music, prayer and calls to action, with Trump, Vance and many members of the administration among the speakers. For more on Kirk’s legacy, Ali Rogin speaks with journalist Kyle Spencer, author of “Raising Them Right,” a book about the conservative youth movement.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipALI: GOOD EVENING, I'M ALI ROGIN.
JOHN YANG IS AWAY.
A MASSIVE CROWD GATHERED TODAY IN ARIZONA FOR THE MEMORIAL SERVICE OF CHARLIE KIRK, THE CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL ACTIVIST WHO WAS GUNNED DOWN 11 DAYS AGO.
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE IN ATTENDANCE INSIDE A FOOTBALL STADIUM WITH A HEAVY SECURITY PRESENCE.
THE MEMORIAL, CALLED BUILDING A LEGACY, IS MIXING MUSIC AND PRAYER WITH A CALL TO ACTION.
AMONG THE ATTENDEES AND SPEAKERS ARE PRESIDENT TRUMP, VICE PRESIDENT VANCE, AND MANY MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
IN THE WAKE OF KIRK'S ASSASSINATION, A DEBATE HAS WAGED OVER POLARIZATION, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, AND THE LIMITS OF FREE SPEECH.
COLLEAGUES OF KIRK'S TOOK DIFFERENT TONES IN THEIR REMARKS.
>> WE WILL MISS YOUR WORDS OF WISDOM, YOUR HIGH-PITCHED LAUGH, WHICH WAS KIND OF AWKWARD.
AND THE WAY YOUR VOICE WOULD ALWAYS SOFTEN WHEN YOU SPOKE TO ERIKA AND YOUR CHILDREN.
>> 11 DAYS AGO, MY FRIEND WAS MARTYRED FOR USING HIS VOICE TO ENGAGE IN PEACEFUL DIALOGUE.
CHARLIE'S ASSASSIN THOUGHT THAT HE COULD STILL AND SILENCE HIS VOICE BY PUTTING A BULLET IN HIS NECK.
ALI: FOR MORE ON CHARLIE KIRK'S LEGACY, WE TURN TO KYLE SPENCER, A JOURNALIST AND THE AUTHOR OF A BOOK ABOUT THE CONSERVATIVE YOUTH MOVEMENT IN THE U.S.
CALLED "RAISING THEM RIGHT."
KYLE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
THIS MEMORIAL SERVICE IS ONGOING.
WE STILL HAVE YET TO HEAR FROM SEVERAL MAJOR FIGURES, INCLUDING PRESIDENT TRUMP AND CHARLIE KIRK'S WIDOW, ERIKA.
WHAT IS YOUR IMPRESSION OF THE MEMORIAL SERVICE AS IT'S GONE ON TODAY?
KYLE: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
I'M GLAD TO BE HERE.
FIRST OF ALL, IT IS ALWAYS VERY SAD TO WITNESS A MOMENT LIKE THIS, AND I THINK THE FIRST THING THAT STRUCK ME WAS HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE COME OUT TO CELEBRATE CHARLIE KIRK, AND THEN ALSO TO SEE SO MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORKED CLOSELY WITH CHARLIE KIRK'S TELLING PERSONAL ANECDOTES ABOUT HOW GOOD HE WAS TO THEM.
CHARLIE, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH CHARLIE AND PEOPLE WHO WORKED WITH HIM, EVERYBODY WHO WORKED WITH CHARLIE FELT VERY, VERY BONDED TO HIM, AND YOU SAW THAT.
SO FAR YOU'VE SEEN THAT IN THIS MEMORIAL.
ALI: TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT HE WAS LIKE.
YOU SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH HIM, GOING TO HIS EVENTS.
TELL ABOUT HIM AS A PERSON.
KYLE: CHARLIE, A LOT OF THE WAYS YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW, HE WAS INCREDIBLY CHARISMATIC, VERY DRIVEN.
HE HAD A VERY STRONG SENSE OF THE WAY HE WANTED THIS COUNTRY TO GO, AND HE WAS ABLE TO ARTICULATE IT VERY SUCCINCTLY, TO SHARE THAT VISION WITH OTHER PEOPLE, AND TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO GO AND SHARE IT WITH MORE PEOPLE.
CHARLIE WAS VERY GENEROUS TO THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED FOR HIM.
HE WAS SOMEBODY THAT THEY LOOKED UP TO.
EVERY TIME I EVER SPENT TIME WITH HIM, HE WAS IN A GOOD MOOD.
HE WAS INTERESTED IN TALKING, WILLING TO TALK, ALWAYS INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING IDEAS.
I NEVER -- SOMETIMES YOU GET THE IMPRESSION WITH PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE SORT OF ONE WAY WITH YOU, BUT NOT REALLY LIKE THAT IN REAL LIFE.
I DIDN'T GET THAT SENSE WITH CHARLES SEE.
I GOT THE SENSE THE WAY HE WAS IN PUBLIC WAS THE WAY HE WAS IN PRIVATE.
ALI: IN TERMS OF HIS POLITICIAN IN POLITICS, WHAT WAS HIS PLACE IN THIS CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT?
KYLE: CHARLIE WAS A SEMINAL FIGURE.
HE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE IN 2012 AND SHARED WITH DONORS A VISION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT WOULD BE MORE USEFUL, THAT WOULD BE ENERGETIC, EXCITING, AND THAT WOULD BE DIVERSE.
AND WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT A LOT OF THAT HAS HAPPENED.
AND I THINK THAT THIS SERVICE IS A SIGN OF THAT.
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE AND THAT ARE WATCHING ONLINE AND WHO HAVE REALLY ACCEPTED AND BEEN INVIGORATED BY CHARLIE'S VISION FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
ALI: HIS WIDOW HAS BEEN TAPPED TO LEAD TURNING POINT IN HIS ABSENCE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HER ROLE IS GOING TO BE COMPARED TO CHARLIE'S, AND IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE WINGS THAT CAN TAKE UP THIS MANTEL?
KYLE I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, I THINK ERIKA IS INCREDIBLY DRIVEN, AS IS CHARLIE, AND HAS GROWN AS A SPOKESPERSON OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SHE HAS A KIND OF MINISTRY SHE DOES, AN ONLINE BIBLE PROGRAM SHE DID THAT'S BECOME VERY, VERY POPULAR WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.
SHE AND CHARLIE TOGETHER WERE ABLE TO SHARE THEIR PERSONAL VISION ABOUT WHAT A FAMILY SHOULD LOOK LIKE, HOW A FAMILY OUGHT TO BE, THE ROLES OF PEOPLE IN A FAMILY.
SHE WAS DOING THAT MORE AND MORE.
I THINK DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB OF SENDING THAT MESS ANNAL, SO I THINK SHE'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND CONTINUE TO BE A REPRESENTATIVE, PARTICULARLY FOR YOUNG WOMEN.
I'M NOT SO CLEAR WHETHER SHE WILL BE AS EFFECTIVE FOR YOUNG MEN.
THE THING ABOUT THE TURNING POINT U.S.A.
MOVEMENT THAT CHARLIE KIRK STARTED AND THE WAY HE WORKED WAS TO KEEP BRINGING PEOPLE INTO THE MOVEMENT, WHETHER THEY WERE SOCIAL MEDIA STARS THAT HE HELPED DEVELOP, HE HELPED GROW, OR WHETHER THEY WERE PEOPLE THAT JUST WORKED INSIDE THE MOVEMENT, INSIDE TURNING POINT, TO MAKE REAL THE DREAMS AND THE IDEAS AND THE PLANS THAT HE HAD.
THERE ARE MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE INSIDE THAT MOVEMENT WHO WORK INSIDE TURNING POINT U.S.A.
IT'S GOT AN A VERY, VERY BIG STAFF, A VERY COMPETENT STAFF, A VERY, VERY AMBITIOUS STAFF.
AND I THINK YOU SEE THAT AT THE CEREMONY, HOW MANY PEOPLE WORKED FOR CHARLIE, AND A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE, I THINK, ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO STEP IN IN VARIOUS SPOTS.
WHETHER THERE'S SOMEONE WHO'S GOING TO TAKE THE CHARISMATIC, FRONT-FACING ROLE OF CHARLIE, I'M NOT SURE.
ALI: AND DO YOU THINK, VERY QUICKLY, HIS DEATH IS GOING TO SHAPE THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN MEANINGFUL WAYS?
KYLE: YES.
I THINK THAT IT IS A VERY REAL THING THAT CHARLIE KIRK, WHO WAS SUCH A BRILLIANT SPOKESPERSON FOR THE CAUSE, IS NO LONGER WITH US.
HOWEVER, HE HAS HIS HAND PRINTS ALL OVER THE NEW REPUBLICAN PARTY.
FOR THOSE WHO REALLY BELIEVED IN WHAT HE BELIEVED IN, THEY OUGHT TO FIND THAT TO BE, TO GIVE THEM A LOT OF SOLACE.
ALI: KYLE SPENCER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INSIGHTS
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