U.S. President Donald Trump and prominent members of his “ Make America Great Again ” movement were paying tribute Sunday to conservative activist Charlie Kirk , whose slaying has marked a signal moment in America’s fraught political atmosphere.

The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, is expected to draw tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance , senior White House officials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old firebrand.

“We’re going to celebrate the life of a great man today,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House on Sunday morning to make his way to Arizona for the service. “It will be a tough day.”

Kirk’s assassination at a Sept. 10 appearance on a Utah college

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