President Donald Trump delivered a lengthy eulogy at the public memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sunday, September 21, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The service honored Kirk, who was fatally shot on September 10 while hosting a campus debate at Utah Valley University.
During his more than 40-minute speech, Trump shared details about his final conversations with the 31-year-old political organizer. Kirk, who was a native of the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois, had been a prominent voice among conservative youth and founder of Turning Point USA.
According to People, Trump told the memorial service crowd that Kirk’s last request to him was simple but direct. “Please, sir, save Chicago,” Trump recalled Kirk saying to him in one of their final conversations. The president responded to this plea by promising action, stating “We’re gonna do that, we’re gonna save Chicago from horrible crime.”
Trump outlines federal intervention plans
The president used the eulogy to outline his administration’s expanding federal crime intervention strategy. He has already threatened to send National Guard troops into Chicago as part of a federal crackdown on crime, similar to actions he has taken in Washington, D.C. This federal approach has become a hallmark of Trump’s current presidency, which began in January 2025.
Trump detailed his administration’s planned sequence of federal interventions during the memorial service. “I’m so proud of Washington, D.C., and now we’re going into Memphis, and we’ll get that one straightened out fast,” he said. The president made clear that Chicago would follow Memphis in this federal intervention plan.
“And then we’re going into some others, but we’re going to go do Chicago, and we’re going to have Charlie very much in mind when we go into Chicago, and we’ll get that one straight,” Trump continued. This statement suggests Kirk’s memory will play a role in shaping the federal response to Chicago’s crime issues.
During the service, Trump also made a surprising medical announcement. According to The Washington Post, he claimed his administration would present an “answer” for autism on Monday, September 22, calling it potentially “one of the biggest announcements, medically, in the history of our country.” According to reports, the Trump administration plans to tie autism to Tylenol use during pregnancy, though scientific research has not established such a link.
Tyler Robinson has been charged in Kirk’s death, facing counts including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice. Kirk left behind his wife Erika and two children. Trump had previously encouraged Kirk to consider a presidential run, telling him “Charlie, you have a good shot someday at being president.”
Published: Sep 22, 2025 02:03 am