GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — 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 honor 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, have children and pass on their values to keep building their movement. They also repeatedly told conservative activists, sometimes in forceful tones, that the best way to honor 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 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 and speakers delivered their tributes from behind bulletproof 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 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.”

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.

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 influence he accumulated in conservative America with his ability to mobilize young people.