Vice President JD Vance spoke to hundreds of thousands of mourners at what Turning Point USA called the largest memorial service ever in Glendale, Arizona, honoring the late Charlie Kirk as a fighter and giving powerful words worth living by to every single person listening.
Vance, joined on stage during the whole-day memorial by President Trump, Robert F. Kennedy, Tulsi Gabbard, Tucker Carlson, Dr. Ben Carson, and Charlie’s widow Erika, among others, uplifted the legacy of Kirk and remembered him as a fighter. He implored the millions of supporters and mourners as well that the fight we are in is worth fighting, and that it is better to do so than die on one’s knees.
“Charlie suffered a terrible fate, my friends, we all know it. We all saw it. But think it is not the worst fate,” the vice president spoke. “It is better to face a gunman than to live your life afraid to speak the truth. It is better to be persecuted for your faith than to deny the kingship of Christ. It is better to die a young man in this world than to sell your soul for an easy life with no purpose, no risk, no love and no truth.”
Vance then spoke of the peace Kirk had found in eternal salvation, having passed on the battle for souls and the nation to us. “Christ told us in the Gospel of John, I have said these things to you that in me, you may have peace in the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart. I have overcome the world. Charlie took heart, and now we must do the same. I’ve seen so many of you say, so many on social media talk about Charlie. We must do this for Charlie. For Charlie.”
“We will speak the truth every single day. For Charlie, we will rebuild this United States of America to greatness. For Charlie, we will never shrink, we will never cower, and we will never falter, even when staring down the barrel of a gun. For Charlie, we will remember that it is better to stand on our feet defending the United States of America and defending the truth than it is to die on our knees,” Vance urged, reiterating the theme of fates worse than death.
He continued his eulogy by calling the late Kirk as both a hero for America and martyr for the Christian faith he loved so much. “My friends, for Charlie, we must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America, and he is a martyr for the Christian faith. May our heavenly Father give us the courage to live as Charlie lived. That is what we must do. For Charlie, you ran a good bit race, my friend, I love you. We’ve got it from here. Thank you.”
Watch Vance’s incredible eulogy below:
Featured image: Screen shot from embedded video