Melania Trump Skipped Charlie Kirk's Funeral & Everyone Noticed

One notable figure was missing as thousands of fans and supporters gathered to honor the life of slain Trump ally Charlie Kirk. On September 21, 11 days after he was tragically killed in a shooting, a funeral service for the Turning Point USA founder and activist was held at a local stadium in Arizona, which reportedly attracted some 90,000 to 200,000 attendees. Both President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance were in attendance to pay their respects, of course, as were J.D.'s wife, Usha Vance, and Donald's sons Don Jr. and Eric. However, there was no sighting of First Lady Melania Trump, whose absence did not go unnoticed, leaving many to wonder why she skipped the service.

We're sure the FLOTUS had her reasons, though many on social media saw her failure to show up at the funeral as a betrayal of Kirk and his family. "Sadly, there was one thing I noticed," a user replied to a clip Elon Musk shared on X, showing the massive crowd gathered at State Farm Stadium. "Melania Trump was MIA! AGAIN!" stressed the user. "I was upset this woman could not take the time to be there and support Mrs Kirk, and yet her husband almost single-handedly won the presidency for her husband. Barron was also MIA! What a lack of loyalty!" Another wrote under a photo of Donald and Eric from the suite: "Trump never misses an opportunity. Strange Melania wasn't there to support Mrs. Kirk." Meanwhile, a third user said in a mocking tone, "Was Melania there to show her respects, or was that not part of her payment plan?"

At the funeral service, Charlie Kirk's wife, Erika Kirk, took a moment to acknowledge Second Lady Usha Vance for being her source of comfort during this time of loss and grief. J.D. Vance, who was closer to Charlie than many of us knew, and Usha showed up for Charlie's family shortly after he was shot and killed at a university campus event in Texas on September 10. In her eulogy, Erika shared the comforting words Usha gave her minutes before their flight home to Arizona, still overcome with shock and grief, telling her, "You know, when you're on your airplane with your kids and it's the last 15 minutes of the flight. Things are crazy, kids are not cooperating, toys are flying everywhere, and everyone is screaming, and you think to yourself, 'I cannot wait for this flight to land.'" She continued, "She told me, 'You will get through these 15 minutes.' And the next 15 minutes, Usha, I don't think you realized it then, but those words were exactly what I needed to hear."

She didn't mention Melania Trump — perhaps due to the lack of personal involvement in the aftermath of Charlie's death — although the first lady did offer her sympathies to the family through a statement shared on X. As a mother, her heart goes out to Charlie and Erika's two children, who will grow up without their father's presence. "Charlie's children will be raised with stories instead of memories, photographs instead of laughter, and silence where their father's voice should have echoed," said Melania. She also added, "Charlie Kirk's life should serve as a symbolic reminder that compassionate awareness elevates family, love, and country."

Despite Melania Trump's absence, Erika Kirk was honored and grateful to have President Donald Trump attend the memorial service for Charlie Kirk in Glendale, Arizona, over the weekend. Onstage, the two shared a tender moment as Donald asked Erika to join him and pull her in a comforting embrace. He also delivered a moving speech celebrating Charlie's life and lasting legacy: "Less than two weeks ago, our country was robbed of one of the brightest lights of our times. A giant of his generation, and above all, a devoted husband, father, son, Christian, and patriot," he said of Charlie. "And so on that terrible day, September 10, 2025, our greatest evangelist for American liberty became immortal. He's a model now for American freedom. I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk, and neither now will history."

Aside from the president, other administration officials and prominent conservatives also showed up to pay their respects, including, among others, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The funeral also featured musical performances by Christian artists Brandon Lake, Chris Tomlin, Phil Wickham, and Cody Carnes. Yet, despite the massive turnout, a few notable faces were missing, including Melania, her son Barron, Ivanka Trump, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, to name just a few.