President Donald Trump was criticized after he used his eulogy during the televised memorial service for far-right activist Charlie Kirk to proclaim he "hates" his political opponents—mere minutes after Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, called for forgiveness.
Mrs. Kirk took the stage and announced she had forgiven her husband's killer "because it was what Christ did, and it's what Charlie would do."
Trump took the stage afterward and did quite the opposite, referring to Kirk's assassin as a “radicalized, cold-blooded monster" and making it abundantly clear that he does not view his political opponents with anything but "hate" and disdain.
He said:
"In a private moment on his dying day, we find everything we need to know about who Charlie Kirk truly was. He was a missionary with a noble spirit and a great, great purpose."
“He did not hate his opponents; he wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry. I am sorry, Erika.”
"But maybe Erika can talk to me and they may convince me that's not right. I can't stand my opponents."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
It was a classic display of Trump's narcissism—and says everything about who he is.
Trump’s remarks played out as an uneasy mix of memorial and campaign rally, as he drifted from somber lines about Kirk’s life and death to offhand jokes and political boasts. He referenced deploying federal forces to police U.S. cities and teased a White House announcement, saying, “I think we found an answer to autism,” and that “tomorrow” he’d discuss it in the Oval Office.
He further claimed Kirk’s “last” request was that he “save Chicago,” vowing to rescue the city from “horrible crime"—not the first time he's claimed people have come to him with requests.
At the end of his remarks, after calling Mrs. Kirk back on stage, Trump acted more like he was at a rally than a memorial, mouthing the words to "America the Beautiful" in what looked more like a rally performance than a eulogy.
Classic Trump.