(KNSI) – Several senior Trump administration officials, including Minnesota native and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, participated in a sold-out memorial for Charlie Kirk on Sunday, just weeks after he was assassinated on a college campus in Utah.
Hegseth revealed that Kirk’s dream was to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, something he fell short of. Hegseth said Kirk’s personal loss was a benefit to society as he became a different kind of hero. “I’ve seen it personally on the battlefield, from Americans wearing camouflage, and I’m surrounded by men and women today who had the chance to witness the same.”
The memorial sold out State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, with a sea of people watching on screens from the parking lot outside. Kirk was a political commentator and podcaster who focused heavily on shifting the college vote more conservative.
Hegseth says the shock of Kirk’s death is leading to his greatest triumph, one that goes well beyond politics. Kirk was a devout Christian who called for a resurgence of faith among young people. “Charlie started a political movement, but unleashed a spiritual revival. My pastor texted me the day after that horrific event, and said, ‘Pete, the devil overplayed his hand.’”
Kirk was willing to debate anywhere from Utah Valley University to Oxford University in England. He had been scheduled to appear at an event hosted by the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities chapter of the organization he founded, Turning Point USA, on September 22nd.
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