President Trump called Kirk "immortal" and speakers called him a "martyr."
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.
Speakers highlighted Kirk's profound faith and his strong belief that young conservatives need to get married, build families and pass on their values to keep building their movement. They also repeatedly told conservative activists, sometimes in confrontational tones, that the best way to honor Kirk was doubling down on his mission to move American politics further to the right.
Kirk founded Turning Point USA at age 18 and rose to become one of the most prominent conservative voices in the country. His influence, particularly with young people, helped propel Trump to office. But some of his comments on gun violence, LGBTQ issues, race and more often drew criticism from liberals and others.
ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Frank Turek, a religious mentor to Charlie Kirk, who was with him at Utah Valley University, recounted their final moments together as President Trump looks on from the upper level of State Farm Stadium.
"I want you to know that we did everything we could to save Charlie," he said.
During Charlie Kirk's memorial service, FBI Director Kash Patel posted an update on the investigation of Kirk's assassination, saying the FBI is "pursuing every lead."
Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested and charged with Kirk's murder, but Patel said the FBI is looking into the "possibility of accomplices."
"We are meticulously investigating theories and questions, including the location from where the shot was taken, the possibility of accomplices, the text message confession and related conversations, Discord chats, the angel of the shot and bullet impact, how the weapon was transported, hand gestures observed as potential 'signals' near Charlie at the time of his assassination, and visitors to the alleged shooter's residence in the hours and days leading up to September 10, 2025," Patel said in a post on X.
"The entire FBI mourns the loss of Charlie Kirk. We will not rest until justice is served, and our investigation into this assassination will continue until every question is answered," Patel said.
Robinson was charged with numerous offenses, including aggravated murder, with prosecutors last week announcing their intent to seek the death penalty.
A remembrance video of Kirk showed footage of him and his family, as well as his work with Turning Point USA. It was narrated by his wife, Erika, and featured previous remarks from Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump.
The video also showed footage from Kirk's campus event at Utah Valley University, including the crowd chanting "Charlie Kirk" and Kirk sitting down inside the tent where he was fatally shot.
President Trump is now seated inside State Farm Stadium. The president is sitting in a suite behind bulletproof glass with Eric Trump, White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
Many members of Trump's Cabinet are seated in the front row.
Margo Martin, special assistant to the president, posted a photograph to X of Trump watching the service.
