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Security tight amid turmoil after Kirk's assassination

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Stadium with capacity for 63,000 was full

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Wife says Kirk died without regrets

(Updates paragraph 4 to clarify memorial's organizers)

By Nathan Layne, Nandita Bose and Joseph Ax

GLENDALE, Arizona, Sept 21 (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 ( DIS ) 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.