On September 21, Charlie Kirk's memorial service was held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, USA. Here, people witnessed a surprising moment: President Donald Trump and technology billionaire Elon Musk shook hands in public for the first time after many months of tension.
Elon Musk, who worked under President Trump and later made strong criticism, appeared among the attendees. Elon Musk and President Trump had a short, laughing conversation while the crowd applauded.
The memorial service was attended by about 200,000 people, far exceeding the capacity of more than 70,000 seats of the main stadium and thousands of people had to watch from the outside of the stadium.
In a speech at the memorial service, Erika Kirk - Charlie Kirk's wife - had a touching statement when declaring her forgiveness for the perpetrator who killed her husband. She said: I forgive the person who took my husband's life, because that is the teaching of the coming of Jesus.
Meanwhile, Mr. Trump's speech was interspersed with gratitude to Charlie Kirk, praising him as a conservative hero. He announced that he would award Mr. Kirk the Civil Safety Medal after his death, calling him a "Hero of the United States". This is seen as a strong political motivation, aiming to strengthen support from conservative youth and religious minorities in the MAGA movement.
Returning to the relationship between Mr. Trump and Elon Musk, who were close before, Mr. Musk held a leadership role in the Executive Committee of the government under President Trump, but then had a conflict when Elon Musk criticized the large spending policies and new laws that Mr. Trump signed and issued. Subsequent information shows that billionaire Musk is gradually separating from the government in his own way.
The handshake between Mr. Trump and Elon Musk at the memorial service was viewed by many as a sign of "normalising the relationship" between the two after a tense time.
However, there are also warnings: is this just a form, or will it lead to specific actions - political cooperation, sponsorship, media influence - and can it last in the context of a very Polar US politics? The Memorial Day is not only a occasion for remembrance but also a place to express power, faith, and a clear political message to supporters.
