An estimated 500 to 800 Secret Service agents are reported to be on the ground at the public funeral service for conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the situation confirmed to NewsNation.
“There are between 500-800 Secret Service agents on the ground assigned to protection of the Kirk memorial, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the matter confirms to @NewsNation,” White House Coorespondent Kellie Meyer wrote on her X account, tagging NewsNation senior DC assignment editor Kevin Bohn.
Kirk’s service, which is being held at State Farm Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, is expected to include speeches from his wife, Erika, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, while several other notable Republican politicians are in attendance. The ceremony was reported to have turned away some registered attendees after reaching maximum capacity of 73,000. Additional attendees were reportedly directed to a nearby overflow arena.
Turning Point USA, the conservative organization co-founded by Kirk, said that more than 200,000 people registered to attend the ceremony. Kirk’s funeral will begin at 2:00 p.m. ET or 11:00 a.m. local time.
Kirk was fatally shot in the neck during what was scheduled to be the first stop on his ‘American Comeback Tour’ last Wednesday (September 10). The suspected shooter, Tyler Robinson, was announced to have been in custody and publicly identified by police last Friday (September 12).
Kirk founded Turning Point USA at the age of 18 along with tea party activist William Montgomery in 2012. The political pundit gained notoriety debating liberal students, winning over conservative financiers.
Kirk enthusiastically supported President Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign and served as a personal aide to his son, Donald Trump Jr., during the campaign, while also gaining a regular presence on cable news.
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