Charlie Kirk, the slain conservative political activist, had a memorial service on September 21 at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Streamer Destiny, or Steven Kenneth Bonnell II, who's also a political commentator, compared it to a Nazi rally, drawing backlash.
"This Charlie Kirk 'memorial' is indistinguishable from a Nazi rally," he said on X. Destiny doubled down on the comparison, sharing a photo of Hitler looking down on troops. The picture was in response to the White House posting a black-and-white photo of President Donald Trump looking on at the gathering in the stadium for Kirk's memorial service.
Several X users were quick to slam Destiny for the comparison to Nazis, with many pointing out that Kirk's wife, Erika, made a speech about ‘forgiving’ the suspected shooter – a message aligned to Christian principles rather than Nazism.
Destiny slammed for Nazi rally comparison
{{/usCountry}}Several X users were quick to slam Destiny for the comparison to Nazis, with many pointing out that Kirk's wife, Erika, made a speech about ‘forgiving’ the suspected shooter – a message aligned to Christian principles rather than Nazism.
Destiny slammed for Nazi rally comparison
{{/usCountry}}One user commented, “'Forgive them, Lord, they know not what they do.' …which Nazi said that?”. Another on X said, “I totally remember that rally where Hitler publicly forgave the plotters who tried to assassinate him and then he called upon them to give their hearts to Jesus.”
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Yet another person added, “Yeah, man. I remember that one time when Hitler gave that speech and called on everyone to respond to hate with love. They clapped when he said he loved his enemies and that Germany must be committed to embracing the teachings of Jesus Christ in their hearts.”
Charlie Kirk draws praise from MAGA base
While Destiny faced flak for comparing the memorial service to a Nazi rally, President Trump and his others in the MAGA administration were all praise for the late Turning Point USA founder.
“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said in his tribute. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”
Speakers highlighted Kirk’s profound faith and his strong belief that young conservatives need to get married, have children and pass on their values to keep building their movement. They also repeatedly told conservative activists, sometimes in forceful tones, that the best way to honor Kirk was doubling down on his mission to move American politics further to the right.
“For Charlie, we will remember that it is better to stand on our feet defending the United States of America and defending the truth than it is to die on our knees,” Vance said. “My friends, for Charlie, we must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America. And he is a martyr for the Christian faith.”
(With AP inputs)