At a memorial for slain US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk on Sunday, former President Donald Trump and thousands of supporters described the 31-year-old in religious and patriotic terms.
“He’s a martyr now for American freedom,” Trump told the crowd of nearly 65,000 at a stadium in Arizona. Kirk was shot dead on September 10 at a Utah university campus.
The event mixed politics, faith, and nationalism, with chants of “USA! USA!” and Christian rock music. Attendees praised Kirk for defending “biblical principles,” even amid controversy.
Monica Mirelez, a nurse who drove from Texas, said she viewed him as “a Christ martyr.” Teen attendee Nick Chisholm added, “Whatever he said, he didn’t deserve to be killed.”
Trump aide Stephen Miller warned the crowd, “You have no idea the dragon you have awakened,” casting the killing as a rallying cry.
Some supporters blamed Democrats for fueling cultural decline, while others said Kirk’s legacy lay in “bringing youth back to the church.”
