The NFL stadium-sized memorial for “Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk” brings Super Bowl-level security – along with bold defiance of potential dangers for tens of thousands of people of faith, Turning Point USA followers, and the presidential delegation.
“Every kind of security measure you can possibly think of will be in place,” Glendale, Arizona, police spokesman Jose Miguel Santiago told The New York Times, calling it an “all-hands-on-deck” event with local, state, and federal security involved.
Authorities are preparing one of the largest security operations in Arizona’s history. The event, set for State Farm Stadium in Glendale, is expected to draw more than 100,000 attendees, including President Donald Trump and several Cabinet members.
“We’re going to celebrate the life of a great man today,” Trump told reporters from the White House on Sunday morning before departing for the memorial. “It will be a tough day.”
The Department of Homeland Security has designated the gathering as a top-tier national security event, comparable to the Super Bowl or the New York City Marathon. While the stadium holds 73,000 people, a nearby arena with space for 19,000 will serve as overflow. Turning Point USA, the group Kirk founded, says more than 200,000 people have registered to attend, according to the Times.
“This designation is reserved for events of the highest national significance and enables the federal government to provide the full range of law enforcement and security resources necessary to support local officials in ensuring a safe and successful event,” a senior DHS official told The Washington Post.
Security measures include hundreds of officers on site, aerial drone monitoring, more than 300 cameras, and airport-style screening with no bags allowed inside.
Because it is the memorial of a conservative leader who was assassinated under the reported motive of political hate, authorities are “tracking several threats of unknown credibility” for the high-profile event, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by ABC News.
“Violent extremists and unaffiliated lone offenders may view the memorial service or related events as attractive attack targets due to the attendance of these individuals, other senior U.S. government officials, state and local government officials, and political activists and due to major international media attention,” the memo read.
Kirk, 31, a close Trump ally and co-founder of the Turning Point network of conservative organizations, was assassinated Sept. 10 while speaking at a debate at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The Turning Point USA co-founder grew up in Illinois, but spent much of his adult life in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he lived with his wife, Erika, and their children.
Trump has denounced the “radical left” for its lashing out with violence at Kirk’s speech, lamenting 58 Democrats voting against the House GOP resolution to condemn political violence in Kirk’s name.
“Who could vote against that? All [Republicans] were saying was ‘Please condemn the assassination of a human being,'” Trump told reporters. “And [Democrats] said, ‘No, no, we’re not going to do that.'”
The U.S. Secret Service is coordinating the operation at the stadium, which has been designated a Special Event Assessment Rating Level 1 — the highest federal security classification, typically reserved for events such as Super Bowls and political conventions.
Newsmax and Newsmax2 will have live coverage of the event.
Stadium officials, posting about the event, said that State Farm Stadium “is committed to creating a safe and comfortable experience for all attendees at State Farm Stadium, Sportsman’s Park and throughout our parking areas,” and that it supports an environment free from unruly, illegal, or disruptive behavior.
In addition, the officials said, magnetometers will be used to screen all attendees at the security checkpoints, and those refusing to be screened will not be permitted entry.
The speakers will include Kirk’s widow, Erika; President Donald Trump; Vice President JD Vance; White House chief of staff Susie Wiles; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth; Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard; Donald Trump Jr.; Tucker Carlson; Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller; and Ambassador to India nominee Sergio Gor.
Security experts said the stadium itself — with its retractable roof and expansive open spaces — presents challenges. Counter-snipers are expected to be positioned inside and outside the arena, while federal teams prepare contingencies for vehicle ramming, biological hazards, and other potential disruptions.
“Today, I will join tens of thousands of Americans in Arizona and countless more around the world as we mourn Charlie Kirk and honor his life and legacy,” Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Joe Gruters wrote in a statement. “Charlie was a fearless leader whose impact on the conservative movement and the Republican Party will be felt for generations to come. He motivated millions of young people to be a part of something bigger than themselves. I hope we can all follow his example. Rest in Peace.”
Newsmax and Newsmax2 will provide special live coverage this Sunday of the “Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk” memorial service from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Charlie Kirk Memorial Service
The memorial officially starts at 2 p.m. ET.
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