The grieving parents of slain MAGA firebrand Charlie Kirk clung to each other in anguish as they came face-to-face with their son's mahogany coffin on Thursday.

The emotional scene followed a solemn ceremony in Salt Lake City, where Kirk's casket was carried off a hearse with the aid of Vice President JD Vance. 

Vance then led members of the National Guard in carrying the coffin up the steps of Air Force Two at Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base. 

The plane will transport Kirk's body back to his home state of Arizona, accompanied by his mourning wife, their two young children, and his parents - who stood visibly heartbroken as they watched the honors unfold. 

The powerful tribute came just one day after the conservative activist was assassinated during a rally at Utah Valley University.

A funeral is now planned for next week, which President Donald Trump said he will attend. He added that he has spoken with Kirk's wife, Erika, and said she is 'devastated, absolutely devastated.'

Kirk was best known for his debates with students at events such as the one he was holding at UVU, where he sparred with young liberals on issues such as abortion and gun control. 

He held the events through his organization Turning Point USA, which Kirk co-founded with his mentor Bill Montgomery. 

Montgomery died in July 2020 aged 80 due to complications from Covid-19, eight years after starting the conservative action group with Kirk. 

He met Kirk when the young debater was just 18 after hearing him speak at a college event, and has often been described as his mentor who guided Kirk into the political world. 

Montgomery provided funding for Turning Point USA to get off the ground, and reportedly advised Kirk to skip college and dedicate himself to making the organization one of the most influential in the nation. 

Before Kirk became one of the best known conservatives in America and his celebrity grew as a key ally of Donald Trump, his family also had a surprising connection to the future president. 

Kirk's father Robert Kirk worked in the construction business and owned his own architecture firm, and his resume included work as a project architect manager on Trump Tower in Manhattan, reports PrimeTimer.