In a ceremony that mixed faith with politics, hundreds of people attended a prayer service Sunday in Normal in remembrance of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was assassinated while speaking at a Utah college on Sept. 10.
The McLean County Republican Party hosted the observance at the Corn Crib, in an hour-long service that included prayers, Christian worship songs, recorded clips from Kirk played on a video board and speeches from students who lead the Illinois State University chapter of Kirk’s Turning Point USA.
The event began moments after Kirk was eulogized in Glendale, Arizona at a ceremony that included speeches from, among others, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk, who has been named the new CEO of Turning Point USA [TPUSA].
Matt Saner, a sophomore at ISU who is vice president of the ISU chapter of TPUSA, said he was interested politically until he engaged with other students on campus about politics, and started watching videos of Kirk on YouTube.
“What Charlie Kirk was able to create in such a relatively such a short amount of time [is] nothing short of amazing,” Saner told the crowd at the Corn Crib. “He made sure the youth and Gen Z can think freely and share their voices with confidence in a world that seemed increasingly progressive. Now that has changed.”
Ben Umbdenstock, the ISU chapter president, said he was grateful to host Kirk when he came to campus in April and he likened Kirk’s resolve to the challenges his mother went through when he lost his father at age 5.
“Nothing would have been possible without the strong resolve my mother had,” Umbdenstock told the crowd.
“At the age of 31, Charlie, through determination and a resolve to encourage discussion, especially in the most hostile environments, pulled through. Although he is gone, his fight lives on.”
McLean County Republican Party vice chair John Parrott helped organize the event. He said the party put on the observance after receiving a number of requests from the public. Parrott said he believes Kirk’s death has galvanized the Republican party to become more engaged with young people and to continue that mission on college campuses, where Kirk is credited with improving GOP turnout on among younger voters.
“I think it’s more energized now than ever before,” Parrott said. “[Kirk was] probably the most energetic and most dedicated young leader that I’ve ever seen in America.”
Kirk was celebrated as an influencer who encouraged debate, though his killing has spurred a national conversation about free speech, following the suspension of late night television host Jimmy Kimmel and FCC chair Brendan Carr’s efforts to go after media outlets that have reported stories that are critical of Trump.
Parrott, who served as the county’s GOP chair during the George W. Bush administration, rejected the characterization that Trump may be targeting unfriendly media.
“The FCC chair I guess can share his point of view, but I really embrace what Charlie Kirk does, that he wants to have dialogue with one another,” Parrott said.
