Charlie Kirk lauded at Arizona memorial as galvanising force for conservatism

GLENDALE, Arizona – US President Donald Trump hailed slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a “martyr for American freedom” on Sept 21 and vowed at his memorial service to carry on the activist’s work, while again suggesting the “radical left” was responsible for his murder.

“The violence comes largely from the left,” Mr Trump said, without citing any evidence, in remarks that downplayed political violence from the right and often turned starkly partisan in contrast to the more solemn tone that most other speakers adopted.

Mr Trump has been blaming the left for the deadly shooting before a suspect was even detained. His messaging reflected the dual nature of the event, which had the feel of a religious revival mixed with a Make America Great Again (Maga) rally.

The memorial, organised by Mr Kirk’s conservative youth advocacy organisation, Turning Point USA, was held 11 days after he was

assassinated during a campus event

in Utah. It drew tens of thousands of mourners dressed in red, white and blue, who filled State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Mr Kirk’s friends and fellow conservatives praised him as an inspirational Christian leader who founded a political movement they vowed to nurture. His wife Erika, who has taken the helm at Turning Point, delivered an emotional tribute to her late husband, looking up at the heavens and mouthing “I love you” before speaking about his devotion to Christianity, his family and his activism. The Kirks have two young children.

“I want all of you to know, while Charlie died far too early, he was also ready to die,” she said. “He left this world without regrets. He did 100 per cent of what he could every day.”

She also offered forgiveness to the

22-year-old man who has been charged

with Mr Kirk’s murder, citing the Bible’s account that Jesus Christ urged his followers to forgive his tormentors while on the cross.

“My husband Charlie wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said before adding tearfully, “I forgive him”, as the crowd applauded solemnly.

Some political figures cast Mr Kirk’s death as a pivotal moment in the conservative movement, exhorting followers to finish the work he began in sometimes aggressive language.

Mr Stephen Miller, the powerful White House adviser, vowed to use Mr Kirk’s death as a galvanising force to finish the work he began.

“We will carry Charlie and Erika in our heart every single day, and fight that much harder because of what you did to us,” Mr Miller said. “You have no idea the dragon you have awakened. You have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilisation, to save the West, to save the republic.”

Vice-president, other Cabinet members speak

The memorial featured a number of leading Christian rock artistes, giving it the air at times of a mega-church Sunday service. As music filled the arena, some men and women closed their eyes and swayed with their arms in the air, tears rolling down their cheeks.

The arena, which normally has a capacity of 63,000, appeared completely full.

Crowds of people, many wearing Maga merchandise, had arrived before dawn to secure seats inside the stadium, where they encountered metal detectors amid tight security.

Other speakers included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, more evidence of Mr Kirk’s political influence. Vice-President J.D. Vance credited Mr Kirk with helping to get Mr Trump elected in 2024 by mobilising young voters.

“Our whole administration is here, but not just because we love Charlie as a friend, even though we did, but because we know we wouldn’t be here without him,” Mr Vance said.

Mr Trump’s speech was the most openly divisive, repeatedly attacking the “radical left” and leaning into campaign-style grievances. While some speakers, including Mr Miller, director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and conservative influencer Jack Posobiec, veered into politics, most kept their remarks focused on honouring Mr Kirk without assigning blame.

At one point, the President contrasted Mr Kirk’s support for public debate – he often challenged students with opposing views to “prove me wrong” at college events – with his own scorched-earth politics. “He did not hate his opponents,” Mr Trump said. “That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents.”

After his speech, he brought Mrs Kirk onstage, and she embraced him as America The Beautiful played over the stadium speakers.

Mr Kirk, 31, was killed with a single bullet as he answered an audience member’s question at a campus event in Utah.

A 22-year-old Utah technical college student has been charged with his murder

. Investigators are still probing for a motive, which remains unclear. They have been scrutinising his alleged texts to a friend and messages engraved into four bullet casings. Experts have said they could reference left- or right-leaning groups.

Civil rights groups criticised Mr Kirk for rhetoric they described as racist, anti-immigrant, transphobic and misogynistic, while his backers say he was a defender of conservative values and a champion of free speech.

Rising fears of violence

His death has raised fears about the growing frequency of US political violence across the ideological spectrum, while also deepening partisan divides.

Mr Trump’s speech on Sept 21 is unlikely to quell fears from critics that he intends to use Mr Kirk’s murder to intensify a crackdown on his political opponents.

During her remarks, Ms Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, tied Mr Kirk’s killing to what she described as a historical pattern in which “political fanatics” eventually turn to violence to defend their ideals.

“They kill and terrorise their opponents, hoping to silence them,” she said.

“But in this evil that we have experienced – that Charlie faced – their flawed ideology is exposed, because by trying to silence Charlie, his voice is now louder than ever.”

Last week, Walt Disney’s ABC network

abruptly pulled late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel

off the air over comments about Mr Kirk’s death that some conservatives said were offensive.

Hours before the suspension, Mr Trump’s head of the Federal Communications Commission, Mr Brendan Carr, threatened to punish the network over Mr Kimmel’s words.

Ms Regina Starr, 59, a semi-retired volunteer who helps care for the elderly, said Mr Kirk’s defining trait was neither his politics nor his role in founding Turning Point USA – it was his unapologetic Christianity.

“He didn’t try to shove it down people’s throats,” she said.

“He was just open. He shared the love of Jesus like he breathed it – naturally, fearlessly. And that made him a target.” REUTERS