Charlie Kirk’s memorial received the highest U.S. security designation, featuring a bulletproof-glass-encased podium, TSA-style metal detectors, and counter-sniper teams.
The Sunday event featured remarks from President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and five Cabinet members. Its high-profile lineup called for a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 1, with security measures and costs comparable to a Super Bowl. State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., was packed with roughly 70,000 attendees, while a nearby overflow site at Desert Diamond Arena held 10,000.
Toby Braun, international security expert and founder of American Special Investigative Group, told Fortune that the event was “one of the most fortified memorial services in recent U.S. history,” with layers of protection spanning from airspace above the venue to streets below.
Highly visible measures included transparent ballistic glass onstage designed to withstand gunfire and explosions, magnetometer checkpoints, security fencing, road closures, vehicle inspections, and a large presence of law enforcement and private security personnel.
Other precautions included counter-sniper teams monitoring elevated positions, plain-clothes officers mingling with the crowd to detect suspicious activity, anti-drone systems to block aerial threats—even with the stadium’s retractable roof closed—and law enforcement drones in operation.
Additional protections included explosive detection equipment, K9 sweeps, and sealed drainage along motorcade routes, adding extra layers against unconventional threats, Braun noted.
The bulletproof glass drew comparisons to the Popemobile, Eric O’Neill, former FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence operative, told Fortune, suggesting such measures may become the “new future” for political speakers, especially those without access to a full Secret Service detail. During his August 2024 campaign, Trump also spoke behind bulletproof glass in Asheboro, N.C., just five weeks after an assassination attempt in Butler, Penn.
O’Neill estimated that security measures likely cost taxpayers an amount similar to a Super Bowl security bill. While the stadium authority emphasized that it was a private event, the SEAR 1 rating triggers federal coordination and interagency support through DHS and the Secret Service.
There is no official public cost estimate for Kirk’s memorial, and DHS did not respond to inquiries.
“It’s so hard to estimate costs… every city is different,” Braun said. “But it cost millions.”
Contentious Fireworks
One aspect of the ceremony sparked debate over its security value. Fireworks erupted just beyond the stage, drawing online criticism about their necessity. Experts told Fortune that the pyrotechnics were largely for spectacle rather than threat prevention.
“I thought that was more to make it seem a little bit more like a tent revival,” O’Neill said.
He noted that the seldom-used bulletproof glass shield around the podium offered far more protection than fireworks ever could. Its protective value was particularly clear when high-profile leaders moved in and out of the enclosure during speeches. The intermittent fireworks added little to no security benefit, O’Neill added.
Using fireworks as a distraction to impair a potential shooter’s vision is a “clever” idea, but unlikely to make a meaningful difference compared with the bulletproof glass, O’Neill said.
Richard Bradshaw, director of Rebel Safety, a safety consultancy specializing in film, TV, and live events, told Fortune that demonstrating any security benefit from fireworks in a crowded or emotionally charged environment would be difficult.
“Pyrotechnics are usually designed for visual impact, not for addressing security threats,” he said.
