At Charlie Kirk memorial, Trump rallies MAGA against political opponents

By Nathan Layne, Nandita Bose and Joseph Ax

GLENDALE, Arizona (Reuters) -President Donald Trump hailed slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a "martyr for American freedom" on Sunday and vowed at his memorial service to carry on his work, while again accusing what he called the "radical left" for Kirk's murder. 

"The violence comes largely from the left," 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.

Trump has been blaming the left for the deadly shooting before a suspect was even detained. His messaging reflected the dual nature of Kirk's memorial, which had the feel of a religious revival mixed with a "Make America Great Again" rally.

The memorial, organized by Kirk's conservative youth advocacy organization Turning Point USA, drew tens of thousands of mourners dressed in red, white and blue who filled State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Kirk's friends and fellow conservatives praised him as an inspirational Christian who founded a political movement they promised to nurture.

His wife, Erika, who has taken the helm of 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% of what he could every day."

She also offered forgiveness to the 22-year-old man who has been charged with 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, as the crowd applauded solemnly.

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

"We will carry Charlie and Erika in our heart every single day, and fight that much harder because of what you did to us," Stephen Miller, the powerful White House adviser, said in a fiery speech. "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 the republic."

VICE PRESIDENT, OTHER CABINET MEMBERS SPEAK

The memorial featured a number of leading Christian rock artists, giving it the air at times of a megachurch 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 attire, 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 Defense Pete Hegseth, more evidence of Kirk's political influence.

Vice President JD Vance credited Kirk with helping get Trump elected last year by mobilizing 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,” Vance said.    

Trump's speech was the most openly divisive, repeatedly attacking the "radical left" and leaning into campaign-style grievances. While some speakers, including Miller, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and conservative influencer Jack Posobiec, veered into politics, most kept their remarks focused on honoring Kirk without assigning blame.

At one point, the president contrasted 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," Trump said. That's where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents."

Following his speech, Trump brought Erika Kirk onstage, who embraced him as "America the Beautiful" played over the stadium speakers.

RISING FEARS OF VIOLENCE

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 technical college student has been charged with Kirk's murder, and investigators say he told his romantic partner in text messages that he killed Kirk because he had "enough of his hate."

Civil rights groups criticized Kirk for rhetoric, pointing to numerous examples they described as racist, anti-immigrant, transphobic and misogynistic. His backers say he was a defender of conservative values and a champion of free speech.

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

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

During her remarks, Gabbard tied 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 terrorize 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 pulled late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel off the air after Trump's head of the Federal Communications Commission threatened the network over comments Kimmel made about Kirk's death that some conservatives found offensive.

(Reporting by Nathan Layne, Nandita Bose and Regina Revazova in Glendale, Arizona; Additional reporting by Ted Hesson and Tim Reid in Washington; Writing by Joseph Ax and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Frank McGurty, Matthew Lewis and Cynthia Osterman)