President Donald Trump electrified the overflowing State Farm Stadium attendees at Charlie Kirk’s Arizona memorial service by honoring the late Kirk as a ‘missionary with a noble purpose’ while simultaneously reinforcing his own ‘hate’ for radical left communists hellbent on destroying America. The comments came as Trump joined several prominent administration officials and widow Erika Kirk speaking in remembrance of the fallen Turning Point USA founder.
Trump directly preceded Charlie Kirk’s surviving wife, Erika, who would later announce her forgiveness of her husband’s assassin, and he took a much different tone. While the context of the comments were likely an effort at some lightheartedness amidst a tragic occasion, they also pointed to the president’s sincere disgust with some of the most awful people in politics.
Addressing an estimated 200,000 people packed with the Glendale, Arizona stadium, Donald Trump used Kirk’s last few moments as a parable of the great life he lived. Kirk had a ‘great purpose’ and shared God’s love with even the most evil people in the country. Trump uplifted the memory of Kirk and used his own experience to tell a story how most other people fall short of who Kirk was as a man and person.
“In that 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,” Trump said during his remarks.
The president then countered with his own opinion, both as a comedic turn and also a very real shot across the bow. “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 Erica, but now Erica can talk to me and the whole group, and maybe they can convince me that that’s not right, but I can’t stand my opponents.”
Watch that incredibly fiery moment below:
Donald Trump was joined onstage by his vice president earlier, who gave a passionate and inspiring speech about how it is better to die for a cause then meekly die on one’s knees. He said Kirk exemplified the idea that is “better to face a gunman than to live your life afraid.”
“Charlie suffered a terrible fate, my friends, we all know it. We all saw it. But think it is not the worst fate,” the vice president spoke. “It is better to face a gunman than to live your life afraid to speak the truth. It is better to be persecuted for your faith than to deny the kingship of Christ. It is better to die a young man in this world than to sell your soul for an easy life with no purpose, no risk, no love and no truth,” the vice president said on the same day.
“We will speak the truth every single day. For Charlie, we will rebuild this United States of America to greatness. For Charlie, we will never shrink, we will never cower, and we will never falter, even when staring down the barrel of a gun. For Charlie, we will remember that it is better to stand on our feet defending the United States of America and defending the truth than it is to die on our knees,” Vance urged, reiterating the theme of fates worse than death,” he concluded.