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Charlie Kirk’s memorial service was meant to be a time of mourning and remembrance. It was held on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, to honor the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, who was shot and killed during an event in Utah on September 10.
But near the end of the service, President Donald Trump shifted focus. Instead of closing with words about Kirk, he told the crowd his administration would soon reveal what he called one of the biggest medical discoveries in American history.
“I think you’re going to find it to be amazing,” Trump said. “I think we found an answer to autism.” The audience offered polite applause but many looked surprised at the sudden change in tone. Trump gave no details and said more would be announced Monday.
The moment drew swift criticism online. Many social media users felt it was inappropriate to turn a memorial into what sounded like a campaign preview. One person posted, “Bro, it’s a funeral. This wasn’t a eulogy. It was a campaign teaser.” Another, who identified as being on the autism spectrum, wrote they felt scared about what Trump’s “answer” might mean.
Others mocked the moment, with one user writing, “Jesus H Christ!! This wasn’t a memorial for Kirk! It was Trump’s pathetic way to gather a crowd around him.”
The criticism fits a pattern. When reporters asked Trump earlier in the week how he was handling Kirk’s death, he quickly switched topics. Instead of reflecting on his friend, he began talking about construction of a new White House ballroom.
According to reports from Politico and The Washington Post, the upcoming announcement is expected to link Tylenol use during pregnancy to higher autism risk. Health and Human Services officials are set to join Trump at the Oval Office on Monday. The move reflects Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s influence as Trump’s Health Secretary, despite his controversial anti-vaccine views.
At the service itself, the atmosphere sometimes felt less like a memorial and more like a political rally. Kirk’s Christian faith and his role in building a conservative youth movement were highlighted throughout. Friends and allies remembered how he turned Turning Point USA into a major force in Republican politics.
But for many, Trump’s decision to use the moment to promote his “autism breakthrough” overshadowed the solemn purpose of the day.