Charlie Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk, has forgiven the man alleged to have killed her husband.
The comments came during a public memorial in Glendale, Arizona, today, with the packed stadium rising to applaud her words.
“My husband wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said.
“That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do.”
“The answer to hate is not hate,” she said. “The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love — love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, was less forgiving with his words.
There was no message of national unity.
Nor any calls for calm and peace from the president.
“I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them,” he declared in his speech following Erika Kirk’s eulogy.
“I’m sorry, I am sorry, Erika,” he continued, noting Erika’s earlier offer of forgiveness.
“But now Erika 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.”
Trump claimed that “one of the last things” Charlie Kirk said to him was, “Please Sir, save Chicago. We’re going to do that. We’re going to save Chicago from horrible crimes,” Trump said, referring to plans to send National Guard troops to Chicago.
Trump also told the memorial that the Department of Justice is “investigating networks of radical left maniacs who fund, organise, fuel and perpetuate violence, and we think we know who many of them are, but law enforcement can only be the beginning of our response to Charlie’s murders over the last 11 days.”
Trump took the opportunity to go on some tangents during his speech, including complaining about people complaining about the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s comedy show, and declaring there will be an announcement made today regarding the “cause of autism”.
Trump also took the opportunity to meet with Elon Musk on the sidelines of the event, where they were seen shaking hands.
Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, shared his views on family life during his comments on Kirk.
“He brought the truth that marriage and family were the highest callings, far more important than any job or educational credential.”
Twenty-two-year-old Tyler Robinson has been charged with fatally shooting Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
Erika Kirk has been appointed to lead the group her husband created, Turning Point USA.