Viewers noticed an unexpected move Tucker Carlson made during his speech at Charlie Kirk’s funeral, saying it sent a “powerful message".
Tens of thousands gathered at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday (September 21) to honor the 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder, who was fatally shot on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Among the high-profile speakers was Tucker Carlson, a mentor to Kirk, who described the conservative activist as “fearless” to “his last moment".
“There was no hate in [Kirk’s] heart,” he told the crowd, per ABC7. “Any attempt to extinguish the light causes it to burn brighter, every single time. As we proceed into whatever comes next - and clearly, something’s coming next - remember this moment.”
Tucker Carlson compares Kirk’s death to crucifixion
The 56-year-old shared that the “main thing” about Kirk was that he was “bringing the gospel to the country,” even comparing his death to Jesus’ crucifixion.
“Ultimately [Kirk] was a Christian Evangelist,” Carlson said. “It reminds me of my favourite stories ever. It is about 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, and Jesus shows up and he starts talking about the people and the power, and he starts doing the worst thing you can do, which is telling the truth about people.
“And they hate it, and they just go bonkers, and they become obsessed with making him stop. ‘He has got to stop talking, we have got to shut this guy up.’ I can picture the scene — a lamp-lit room with a bunch of guys eating hummus, thinking, ‘what do we do about this guy telling the truth about us? We must make him stop talking.’"
“And there is always one guy with a bright idea, and I can just hear him say ‘I’ve got an idea; why don’t we just kill him - that will shut him up, that will fix the problem,’” he added.
Carlson declines bulletproof protection
But it wasn’t only Carlson’s words that drew attention.
Viewers quickly noticed that he chose not to stand behind the bulletproof glass that had been installed for speakers.
“Tucker Carlson chose the podium without the bulletproof glass. Powerful message right there,” one user wrote. Another added: “Bold move.”
A third said: “I notice that @TuckerCarlson chose not to be behind the bulletproof glass for his speech, and I love him for that.”
Erika Kirk forgives her husband’s alleged killer
The memorial also featured deeply personal tributes from Erika Kirk, who spoke about her husband’s faith and revealed she forgives Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of the shooting.
“My husband, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said. “That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do.”
She also recalled the moment she saw her husband’s body in the hospital: “I saw the wound that ended his life. I felt everything he would expect to feel."
"I felt shock. I felt horror, and a level of heartache that I didn’t even know existed. But there was something else, too. Even in death, I could see the man that I love… I also saw on his lips the faintest smile," she added.
A surgeon told her the gunshot was so devastating that even if it had occurred in the operating room, it wouldn’t have been survivable.
“There was no pain, there was no fear, no agony,” she continued. “One moment, Charlie was doing what he loved… then he blinked. He blinked and saw his savior in paradise.”
When President Donald Trump took the stage, he praised Kirk as “a martyr now for America’s freedom” and “a great of his generation".
Though Trump also admitted: “[Kirk] did not hate his opponents, he wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagree with Charlie. I hate my opponents and I don’t want what’s best for them.”
The 79-year-old ended his speech by embracing Erika on stage - a moment that later went viral when viewers focused on his unusual facial expression.