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GLENDALE, Ariz. — U.S. President Donald Trump praised Charlie Kirk as a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom as he and other prominent conservatives gathered Sunday evening to honour the slain conservative political activist whose work they say they must now advance.

The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, drew tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance, other senior administration officials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old firebrand.

“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said in his tribute. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”

Speakers highlighted Kirk’s profound faith and his strong belief that young conservatives need to get married, build families and pass on their values to keep building their movement. They also repeatedly told conservative activists, sometimes in confrontational tones, that the best way to honour Kirk was doubling down on his mission to move American politics further to the right.

“For Charlie, we will remember that it is better to stand on our feet defending the United States of America and defending the truth than it is to die on our knees,” Vance said. “My friends, for Charlie, we must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America. And he is a martyr for the Christian faith.”

Kirk’s assassination at a Sept. 10 appearance on a Utah college campus has become a singular moment for the modern-day conservative movement. It also has set off a fierce debate about violence, decency and free speech in an era of deep political division.

The shooting has stirred fear among some Americans that Trump is trying to harness outrage over the killing as justification to suppress the voices of his critics and political opponents.

Charlie Kirk’s wife forgives suspect

Those close to Kirk prayed and the floors at the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals shook from the bass of Christian rock bands, as the memorial started with the feel of a megachurch service before veering into something more akin to a political rally.

Longtime worship leader Chris Tomlin opened the service, and was joined later by other big names in contemporary Christian music, including Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham. Near the end, as Trump took the stage, Lee Greenwood sang a live rendition of the president’s campaign walk-on song, “God Bless the U.S.A.”

People began lining up before dawn to secure a spot inside State Farm Stadium west of Phoenix, where Kirk’s Turning Point organization is based. Security was tight, similar to the Super Bowl or other high-profile event. The speakers delivered their tributes from behind bullet-proof glass.

The 63,400-seat stadium quickly filled with people dressed in red, white and blue, as organizers suggested.

The mood in the stadium ebbed and flowed throughout a service that stretched more than five hours. Mourners were patient and cordial, even after waiting hours to enter and then an hour or more for food in stadium concession lines.

Kirk’s widow, Erika, in her own address said in the midst of her grief she was finding comfort that her husband left this world without regrets. She also said she forgives the man who is charged with killing him.

“My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” said Erika Kirk, who is taking over as Turning Point’s leader. She added, “I forgive him.”

Trump, who closed out the service, remarked that Charlie Kirk “did not hate his opponents” and “wanted the best for them,” an attribute he found hard to understand.

“That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them,” Trump said. “I’m sorry, I am sorry Erika.”

Comments about Kirk have become a Trump administration target

Trump has blamed the “radical left” for Kirk’s death and threatened to go after liberal organizations and donors or others who he feels are maligning or celebrating Kirk’s death.

Dozens of people, from journalists to teachers to late show host Jimmy Kimmel, have faced suspensions or lost their jobs as prominent conservative activists and administration officials target comments about Kirk that they deem offensive or celebratory. The retaliation has in turn ignited a debate over the First Amendment.

Some speakers at the memorial said Kirk was battling evil and referred often to a vague “they” as the enemy. Others were blunt.

“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,” said White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.

Kirk was a provocateur who at times made statements that some called racist, misogynistic, anti-immigrant and transphobic. That has drawn backlash from conservatives who view the criticism as cherry-picking a few select moments to insult the legacy of someone they see as an inspirational conservative leader.

A 22-year-old Utah man, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with killing Kirk and faces the death penalty if convicted of the most serious charges. Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but prosecutors say Robinson wrote in a text to his partner following the shooting that he “had enough” of Kirk’s hatred.

Kirk’s legacy of conservative political influence

Turning Point, the group Kirk founded to mobilize young Christian conservatives, became a multimillion-dollar operation under his leadership with enormous reach.

The crowd was a testament to the massive influence he accumulated in conservative America with his ability to mobilize young people.

And the service brought together a veritable who’s who of the Republican Party, with numerous current and former lawmakers in the crowd. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and former top adviser to Trump, was spotted sitting with Trump for part of the service.

Kirk was a MAGA celebrity with a loyal following that turned out to support or argue with him as he travelled the country for the events like the one at Utah Valley University, where he was shot.

Speaker after speaker, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressed awe at Kirk’s ability to go into what many conservatives saw as the lion’s den to make the conservative case: college campuses.

“Why don’t you start somewhere easier,” Rubio joked when he first heard about Kirk years ago. “Like, for example, communist Cuba?”

Jonathan J. Cooper, Eugene Garcia and Aamer Madhani, The Associated Press

Madhani reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Terry Tang, Tiffany Stanley in Washington and Silvia Stellacci in Rome contributed to this report.