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Lawmakers, activists to honor Charlie Kirk at DC memorial service, prayer vigil: Updates
Members of Congress, conservative leaders and members of Donald Trump’s administration are expected to attend a memorial service and prayer vigil on Sunday evening honoring slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Washington, D.C.
Attendees will celebrate Kirk’s life and legacy and offers prayers at the service, Arizona state senator Jake Hoffman said.
It was not immediately clear whether President Donald Trump or Vice President JD Vance planned to attend.
More: Republicans push for a monument to Charlie Kirk in the Capitol
Kirk’s assassination at a Utah college campus last week has led to a national reflection on civil discourse and political violence in America, with commentators and politicians across the ideological spectrum decrying the grisly shooting.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called on every person in the country to look inward and “think about where we are and where we want to be.”
Community members gather at an intersection in Indian River County just west of Vero Beach, Florida, for a Charlie Kirk flag wave gathering, Sept. 13, 2025, to honor the 31-year-old activist who was killed by a single gunshot while speaking in front of some 3,000 people as part of his ‘American Comeback Tour’ at Utah Valley University.
More: Charlie Kirk murder the latest in political violence plaguing Trump, Congress and courts
Cox, a Republican, will appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning, while House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, does “Fox News Sunday” and CBS’ “Face the Nation.” Utah’s junior Republican Sen. John Curtis is a guest on ABC News’ “This Week.”
Kirk’s shooting is likely to continue shaping the national dialogue in the days and weeks ahead.
Public memorial service expected next weekend
A public memorial service for Kirk is scheduled to take place in Arizona on Sunday, Sept. 21, according to Turning Point USA.
The conservative advocacy organization Kirk co-founded said in an X post that the service would take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
“Join us in celebrating the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk, an American legend,” the organization said.
The service is scheduled to take place at the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Turning Point, with roughly 800 college chapters, is headquartered in Phoenix.
Doors are expected to open for Kirk’s memorial service at 8 a.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST), according to the organization, and the program is planned to begin at 11 a.m. MST.
Kirk lived in Arizona with his wife, Erika, and two children.
Kirk, 31, was killed while speaking on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Turning Point USA members mourn conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Houston on Sept. 11, 2025.
Two days later, the suspected shooter was publicly identified by authorities as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who was taken into custody Thursday night, Sept. 11, more than 24 hours after Kirk’s killing. Prosecutors are expected to formally file charges against Robinson at his first court appearance on Tuesday, Sept. 16, according to Christopher Ballard of the Utah County Attorney’s Office.
Kirk’s casket was flown by Vice President JD Vance on Air Force Two from Salt Lake City, Utah, to a mortuary in Phoenix on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025.
Top Trump officials expected to attend Charlie Kirk’s memorial service
President Donald Trump told reporters on Sept. 11 that he plans to attend Kirk’s service.
“They’ve asked me to go and I think I have an obligation to do it,” Trump said.
The president is scheduled to be in the United Kingdom immediately beforehand.
Top administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vance, are expected to attend.
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund and Jonathan Limehouse
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lawmakers, activists to honor Kirk at DC prayer vigil: Live updates