Enemies of the MAGA movement “have nothing,” Stephen Miller said at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service Sunday morning. But conservatives, on the other hand, “are on the side of God.”
Miller, who has been called the mastermind behind the most controversial actions of the Trump administrations past and present — including family separation and the deportation of legal immigrants — was among a host of speakers at the five-hour political rally memorializing Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA.
The gathering, staged at an enormous stadium, was held at 11 a.m. Sunday morning, the time most traditionally associated with Christian worship services nationwide.
In the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, Miller had gone on Fox News with similar angry comments directed toward those whom he called leftist “enemies” of Kirk and the administration.
“You will live in exile because the power of law enforcement under President Trump’s leadership will be used to find you.”
“We are going to do what it takes to dismantle the organizations and the entities that are fomenting riots, that are doxing, that are trying to inspire terrorism, that are committing acts of wanton violence,” he said. “It has to stop, and my message is to all of the domestic terrorists in this country spreading this evil hate: You want us to live in fear. We will not live in fear, but you will live in exile because the power of law enforcement under President Trump’s leadership will be used to find you.”
Days later at the memorial service, Miller picked up the themes of vengeance and violence.
“When I see Erika and her strength and her courage, I’m reminded of a famous expression. The storm whispers to the warrior that you cannot withstand my strength. And the warrior whispers back, ‘I am the storm.’ Erica is the storm. We are the storm. And our enemies cannot comprehend our strength, our determination, our resolve, our passion.”
Those on the side of Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump are the descendants of those who built America’s lineage and legacy, he said, going back to Athens, Rome, Philadelphia, Monticello.
“Our ancestors built the cities. They produced the art and architecture. They built the industry. Erika stands on the shoulders of thousands of years of warriors, of women who raised up families, raised up cities, raised up industry, raised up civilization, who pulled us out of the caves and the darkness into the light.
“The light will defeat the dark. We will prevail over the forces of wickedness and evilness. They cannot imagine what they have awakened,” he declared.
Miller’s references to world history all came from white European lineage. Common Cause says of Miller’s own history: “His work in government has consistently targeted people of color, immigrants and LGBTQ Americans.”
His rhetoric at Kirk’s memorial carried the same steely-eyed and strident tone he has become known for. Although one person has been charged with shooting Kirk, Miller pointed the finger of accusation at all who oppose his and Trump’s agenda.
“We stand for what is good, what is virtuous, what is noble.”
Those on the other side “cannot conceive of the army that they have arisen in all of us because we stand for what is good, what is virtuous, what is noble,” he said. “And to those trying to incite violence against us, those trying to foment hatred against us: What do you have? You have nothing. You are nothing. You are wickedness. You are jealousy. You are envy. You are hatred. You are nothing. You can build nothing. You can produce nothing. You can create nothing.
“We are the ones who build. We are the ones who create. We are the ones who lift up humanity.
“You thought you could kill Charlie Kirk. You have made him immortal. You have immortalized Charlie Kirk. And now millions will carry on his legacy, and we will devote the rest of our lives to finishing the causes for which Charlie gave his last measure of devotion.
“You cannot defeat us,” he said. “You cannot slow us. You cannot stop us. You cannot deter us. We will carry Charlie and Erika in our heart every single day and fight that much harder because of what you did to us. You have no idea the dragon you have awakened. You have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilization, to save the West, to save this republic because our children are strong and our grandchildren will be strong and our children’s children’s children will be strong.
“And what will you leave behind? Nothing. Nothing. To our enemies: You have nothing to give. You have nothing to offer. You have nothing to share but bitterness. We have beauty. We have light. We have goodness. We have determination. We have vision. We have strength. We built the world that we inhabit now generation by generation, and we will defend this world. We will defend goodness. We will defend light. We will defend virtue. You cannot terrify us. You cannot frighten us. You cannot threaten us because we are on the side of goodness. We are on the side of God.”