AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
A memorial for Charlie Kirk is underway in Glendale, Arizona. The conservative activist was killed while speaking at Utah Valley University 11 days ago. His memorial was organized by the group he founded, Turning Point USA. Kirk had gained a large following, especially with young conservatives. President Trump has credited Kirk for helping him win the 2024 election. Supporters of Kirk started lining up early on Sunday to secure a spot in the stadium where a large crowd is expected. Wayne Schutsky of member station KJZZ is in Glendale, Arizona, with more. Hi, Wayne.
WAYNE SCHUTSKY, BYLINE: Hi, Ayesha.
RASCOE: So after Charlie Kirk's death, we've seen a wave of memorials across the country. What do we know about this event so far?
SCHUTSKY: Well, Kirk wasn't born in Arizona, but he's lived here for years, and I've heard from a lot of locals here who felt a personal connection to him because he spoke at their church or even met with them personally. That was part of the crowd that showed up at State Farm Stadium today. The stadium can hold over 70,000 people, and the local police department in Glendale, which is a suburb west of Phoenix, have said that many more than that are expected to show up. And we've actually just seen them close the gate at the stadium and direct people over to a nearby arena. President Trump is expected to be here to speak, as well as Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, just after she was named actually the new CEO of Turning Point to succeed her husband.
RASCOE: What more can we expect today?
SCHUTSKY: Well, we're also expecting to hear a bit about Kirk's legacy with the conservative movement and where Turning Point goes from here. Kirk helped create this movement that's now known as one of the most influential right-wing political groups in the country. So when his wife delivered her address last week, she leaned into the fact that she's going to carry on that mission, and I think we'll hear more about that.
There's also a planned worship service here, and Kirk's Christian faith was a big part of his persona. So I wouldn't be surprised if at times it feels like a Sunday at church. I even heard some people mention that Kirk's faith was the reason they showed up today.
RASCOE: In the days since Kirk's assassination, we've heard a wide range of reactions from Republicans. Sometimes the message has been about unity, while other times, there have been calls for retaliation against those who they consider their enemies. How do you think all of that might fit into today?
SCHUTSKY: Well, like you mentioned, some, even President Trump, have blamed the political left for - or the left for political violence and not really talked about incidents where Democrats were victims.
And, you know, earlier this week at Arizona State University, we saw some speakers make some comments that appeared more geared towards, like, a political rally. Tyler Bowyer with Turning Point's political wing told the crowd that, quote, "crazy leftist radicalization" was to blame for the assassination. So - but data shows that political violence in the U.S. rarely follows a single ideology.
And many other supporters who showed up at that ASU event said they hoped that this would be a time to turn down that rhetoric, and also folks I spoke today seem more focused on remembering Kirk and his legacy rather than pointing the finger.
RASCOE: You're there in Arizona. How are state officials and law enforcement planning to keep people safe?
SCHUTSKY: Well, yeah, they hadn't made a lot of their plans public for obvious reasons, but I can say that the law enforcement presence here right now is very robust. At the area where people were talking to me, waiting in line to get in, there were officers stationed every 20 feet or so, a lot of public safety presence. There are tall black fences surrounding the entire stadium and metal detectors that everyone has to go through before getting in, and they're not even letting them carry anything. I actually talked to a mom, Vanessa Gomez (ph), with three small children. She wasn't allowed to bring a bag, so she was holding an extra handful of diapers in her hands, but she was still happy to be there.
VANESSA GOMEZ: Charlie Kirk meant a lot to us because of his faith in God, first and foremost, and then to our family, just his family values.
SCHUTSKY: And so we're seeing a real mix of people in the crowd today - lots of young families, teenagers and that kind of thing. I spoke to another family, a father and a son who actually - the father said his son was actually a witness to the event that - where Charlie Kirk was shot and killed and that this is a type of therapy for his son, that he thinks coming here and being able to grieve with all these people around him is really just going to give him a chance to really work through some of the trauma that he experienced that day.
RASCOE: That's Wayne Schutsky of member station KJZZ in Glendale, Arizona. Thank you so much.
SCHUTSKY: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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