On a Tuesday evening, Aspen Miller set up her lawn chair at Milton Vretenar Memorial Park in Saint Francis, visibly moved by the occasion. The event marked a month since conservative activist Charlie Kirk was tragically assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University. Though Miller, a resident of Wauwatosa, never met Kirk, she was a frequent listener of his podcast and admired his strong faith and family values.
“It’s like a parasocial relationship that we have with people, and I couldn’t listen to my podcaster anymore and his wisdom,” Miller expressed, her voice breaking with emotion. “I can’t imagine what people who knew him must be feeling, because we feel it heavy, so it must just be that much more deep for them.”
The gathering in Saint Francis was attended by approximately 200 individuals, all there to honor Kirk during the Republican Party of Milwaukee County’s celebration. Kirk, who was 31 when he passed, was a co-founder of Turning Point USA, known for promoting conservative politics among students. He was a notable ally of President Donald Trump, who posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the country, on Tuesday. Read more about the award here.
The Milwaukee County event was part of a National Day of Remembrance for Kirk, coinciding with what would have been his 32nd birthday. Memorial events have been held across Wisconsin since Kirk’s death on September 10. Brett Galaszewski, 1st Vice Chair of the Republican Party of Milwaukee County, acknowledged the emotional difficulty of organizing such an event earlier, stating, “It just didn’t seem like we were in the best mental headspace and emotional headspace to be able to put on a vigil in the immediate days right after Sept. 10.”
Hilario Deleon, the 24-year-old chair of the Milwaukee County Republican party, spoke of Kirk as a mentor from his teenage years, sharing the impact Kirk had on his life and on those around him. “For the people who are here, many of us feel like we lost a member of our family,” Deleon said.
In honor of Kirk, Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott introduced legislation to designate Kirk’s birthday as a National Day of Remembrance. Although the measure gained bipartisan support, it faced opposition from 58 Democrats, with the Congressional Black Caucus expressing concerns over Kirk’s past controversial remarks. They stated that while they condemned political violence, they could not support endorsing Kirk’s divisive beliefs. Read more about the resolution here.
Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore voted against the measure, while Rep. Mark Pocan opted to vote “present.” State lawmakers in Wisconsin also passed a joint resolution to honor Kirk, though it was met with some resistance from Democratic legislators. Read more on the resolution.
Charlie Kirk, originally from suburban Chicago, spent time in Wisconsin last year, visiting the University of Wisconsin-Madison for his “You’re Being Brainwashed” tour and speaking at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Phil Siemik of South Milwaukee highlighted Kirk’s role in fostering political discourse, noting, “Never held any animosity, but would have a civil conversation. We’ve lost that in this country, and we need to remember we’re all Americans.”
