Today, as many as 100,000 people will gather inside a Phoenix stadium to pay tribute to a man who wanted to have a conversation with each and every one of them. That number may end up being a small subset to the total number of those who will show up today. The Wall Street Journal reports lines of cars still backed up for more than a mile well before the service begins:
The memorial at State Farm Stadium, just outside Phoenix, comes nearly two weeks after Kirk was fatally shot during a speaking event on a Utah university campus. His death ratcheted up political tensions across the country and heightened fears that American politics had entered a dangerous new era.
Six hours before the funeral was set to begin Sunday, traffic snaked more than a mile from the stadium and thousands of attendees had formed a line under lights in the parking lot.
Trump is expected to speak at the event, as are senior figures in the administration including Vice President JD Vance, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Former Fox News host turned podcaster Tucker Carlson, as well as White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, are slated to speak.
Erika Kirk, who will take her late husband’s place as head of Turning Point USA, is also expected to address the crowds. She has vowed to continue his work of mobilizing young conservatives through tours, podcasts and public events.
Obviously, we’ll have plenty of speeches and other commentary to discuss and analyze later. For today, we can focus on Charlie’s life and legacy, brought to us by the people who mattered to Charlie most — especially his wife Erika.
Here’s the live stream of the memorial service coverage from Fox.
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