GLENDALE, Arizona — Up to 200,000 mourners dressed in red, white, and blue turned out to honor Charlie Kirk on Sunday at a memorial service in Arizona, where his fellow conservatives praised him as an inspirational Christian leader and vowed to carry on with the political movement he started.

President Donald Trump hailed Kirk as a “martyr for American freedom” 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.

Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson credited Kirk with helping him move past an addiction to alcohol to lead a more moral, Christian life. Like many speakers, he echoed Kirk’s exhortation to young men to get married and have children.

“Did Charlie bring you closer to God?” Johnson asked, drawing a resounding “yes” from the crowd.

What Erika Kirk Said to Mourners

Kirk’s widow, 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.

Stephen Miller: We Will Finish Charlie’s Work

Stephen Miller, the powerful White House adviser, vowed to use Kirk’s death as a galvanizing 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,” Miller said. “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.”

Christian rock music blared through loudspeakers and pictures of Kirk were set on easels throughout the walkways of State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The arena, which is the home of the Arizona Cardinals NFL team, normally has a capacity of 73,000. It appeared completely full.

Memorial organizers said that additional attendees were sent to the Desert Diamond Arena, home to the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes with a capacity of 20,000. Organizers said about 200,000 people registered for the service.

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.

Trump, who was set to close the event with his remarks, has credited Kirk with mobilizing young voters behind his campaign last year. Civil rights groups criticized 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.

Other speakers included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, more evidence of Kirk’s political influence.

Kirk, 31, was killed with a single bullet as he answered an audience member’s question at a campus event in Utah organized by Turning Point. 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 had killed Kirk because he had “enough of his hate.”

Kirk had two young children. His wife, Erika Kirk, was elected the new chief executive of Turning Point in the wake of his death and was expected to address the crowd on Sunday.

Rising Fears of Violence

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

Trump has cited the murder in escalating his calls for a crackdown on his political opponents, including left-wing organizations that he has blamed for the shooting even though authorities have said the gunman acted alone.

During her remarks, Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. director of national intelligence, 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 abruptly pulled late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel off the air over comments about Kirk’s death that some conservatives said were offensive. Hours before the suspension, Trump’s head of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, threatened to punish the network over Kimmel’s words.

Regina Starr, 59, a semi-retired volunteer who helps care for the elderly, said Kirk’s defining trait was not his politics or 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.”

(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 and Matthew Lewis)