A memorial is usually remembered for words of comfort or moments of silence. At Charlie Kirk’s service, people got something very different.
Donald Trump, standing beside the late activist’s widow, suddenly broke into a little dance as the choir sang America the Beautiful.
Trump does a funny little dance alongside Charlie Kirk’s bereaved widow pic.twitter.com/AQPfEV3ZLV
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) September 21, 2025
The event took place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Nearly 65,000 people came to remember the 31-year-old conservative activist, who was killed by a sniper on September 10. Erika Kirk stood strong through the tears, and even smiled faintly as Trump swayed next to her.
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Trump was the final speaker. He described Kirk as a man who gave his life for freedom. “On that day, this evangelist for American liberty became immortal,” Trump said. He called Kirk a “martyr for American freedom” and promised that history would not forget him.
But what stuck with people was the odd dance. Clips spread fast online, and many called it embarrassing, inappropriate, and even narcissistic.
Inappropriate doesn’t even come close to describing whatever the fuck this is pic.twitter.com/cSEzUlPRk0
— Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) September 22, 2025
Narcissistic personality disorder
— Vlad Vexler (@VladVexler) September 22, 2025
What a disgrace!!!
— Richard Freedland JD (@RickFreedland) September 22, 2025
IDK , the whole memorial, religious revival, political rally was inappropriate and disrespectful,
— Karen Atwood (@KarenAtwoo15062) September 22, 2025
Trump has turned a memorial into a political platform and all round clownshow.
— thesecondellen (@thesecondellen) September 22, 2025
Holy shit.
— TheOwl. (@j33_j33) September 22, 2025
embarrassing and painful to watch. No class all trash
— Passenger 57 (@4wdmod) September 22, 2025
Did he even know what he was “singing?”
Embarrassing— Cork Off! (@CorkYou) September 22, 2025
This is totally psychotic. If some said Erika was CK in drag, I wouldn’t be surprised at this point.
— The Disgruntled Patriot (@TDPatriot1) September 22, 2025
Erika Kirk’s own message was much more moving. In her eulogy, she spoke about forgiveness. “I forgive him,” she said of the man who killed her husband. “I forgive him because it was what Christ did and it’s what Charlie would do.” The audience rose to their feet as she promised to carry on her husband’s work with Turning Point USA.
Her calm words carried the weight of the day. Trump’s gestures, however, made the moment feel split in two.
This is not the first time Trump has been questioned for how he behaves at serious events. Over the years, his rallies have often ended with the same hand movements and dance steps, making his supporters cheer and critics cringe. The same moves at a memorial, though, were harder to explain.
The service itself lasted hours. Family, friends, and fellow activists spoke about Kirk’s work and his passion for conservative causes. Many saw him as a leader who inspired students and built a movement on campuses across the country.
Featured image via X screengrab