The Secret Service is taking the lead in providing security for Sunday’s memorial service for Charlie Kirk at a football stadium in Glendale, Arizona, an event that has been designated as having the “highest national significance,” The Hill reported Thursday.
The service, which is expected to feature remarks from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, will be held at State Farm Stadium west of Phoenix, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.
The service has been classified as a Special Event Assessment Rating Level 1 gathering, the highest federal rating, which typically triggers Super Bowl-level security.
“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 Department of Homeland Security official told NewsNation, sister network of The Hill.
Kirk was assassinated last week at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University, which is under scrutiny for not providing the level of security Kirk enjoyed at other campuses.
That will not be the case Sunday.
“The U.S. Secret Service has been designated as the Federal Coordinator for this effort. Our teams are already on the ground in Phoenix and Glendale, working side-by-side with state, local, and federal partners,” William Mack, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Phoenix field office, told NewsNation on Thursday.
The memorial is expected to draw tens of thousands of mourners; State Farm Stadium can seat more than 63,000 people.
Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, the new CEO and chair of Turning Point USA, will also give remarks. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected to speak.
In live remarks last week, two days after Kirk was killed, Erika Kirk took aim at the “evildoers responsible” for her husband’s death.
“They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith, and of God’s merciful love,” Erika Kirk said. “They should all know this: If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea.
“You have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world. You have no idea. You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”
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