Donald Trump Jr. has taken a rare jab at his father while on stage in front of a crowd of 200,000 mourners at Charlie Kirk’s memorial.
The president’s oldest son was a longtime close friend of Kirk’s and played a significant role as one of the speakers at his farewell event held at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
During a heartfelt speech, Don Jr. spoke about how devastated he felt when he heard about Kirk’s passing, which led him to openly express his emotions to the American public via social media.
‘Anyone who follows me online knows that I’m more inclined to make jokes or get into trouble for sharing wildly inappropriate memes than to show my emotions,’ Don Jr. stated.
‘I realize this because I’ve even received the call from that man a few times,’ he noted, gesturing towards his father, who was in a secure skybox above the stadium.
‘”You know Don… Don, you’re getting a little aggressive on social media. Relax,”‘ he said in a voice mimicking the elder Trump.
The president took the impersonation well, smirking and shaking his head before embracing a wider grin.
UFC CEO Dana White, who was also present in the presidential box, appeared anxious as the impersonation began but eventually couldn’t resist laughing at Don Jr.’s attempts.
Donald Trump Jr. has taken a rare jab at his president father on stage in front of a crowd of 200,000 mourners at Charlie Kirk ‘s memorial
Trump took the impersonation well, smirking and shaking his head before embracing a wider grin. UFC boss Dana White also laughed
After roars of laughter from the crowd, Don Jr. went on to say that he was ‘devastated when Charlie died.’
The friendship between 31-year-old conservative activist Kirk and Don Jr. went back years.
In the early days of the MAGA movement, they would campaign together on college campuses and face down hostile political audiences.
At 47, Don Jr. was 16 years older, but he saw in Kirk a young man of great conviction who would carry the MAGA torch in the future.
Don Jr.’s grief was clear in a tribute he wrote to a man he regarded as a sibling on X.
‘Love you, brother,’ wrote the president’s eldest son on X. ‘Expressing sentiments isn’t my forte, and I can’t quite find the words to describe the sense of loss I’m experiencing right now.’
‘Charlie wasn’t just a friend – he was like a little brother to me – and to millions of people around the world – he was a true inspiration. He was one of the most courageous, principled men I’ve ever known.’
Speakers highlighted Kirk’s profound faith and his strong belief that young conservatives need to get married, build families and pass on their values to keep building their movement.
During his emotional speech, Don Jr . recalled how emotional he was after learning of Kirk’s death, prompting him to share his vulnerability online with the American public
Vice President JD Vance (left) and Kirk’s wife Erike (right) were among the final speakers of the afternoon
The speakers also repeatedly told conservative activists that the best way to honor Kirk was doubling down on his mission to move American politics further to the right.
‘You thought you could kill Charlie Kirk? You have made him immortal,’ said deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
‘You have no idea the dragon you have awakened, you have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilization, to save the West, to save this republic.’
And Vice President JD Vance, who credits Kirk for his political rise through the ranks and the success of the Trump administration, told the gathered crowd that his friend was a ‘martyr.’
‘We must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America. And he is a martyr for the Christian faith,’ he said.
‘I have talked more about Jesus Christ the past two weeks than I have my entire time in public office.
‘Our whole administration is here, but not just because we love Charlie as a friend, even though we did, but because we know we wouldn’t be here without him. Charlie built an organization that reshaped the balance of our politics.’
