Tens of thousands of mourners, plus the upper echelon of government, gathered in an Arizona arena to memorialize Charlie Kirk. The tone oscillated between sharing memories of the conservative activist's life to President Trump vowing to target political foes.
The most captivating moment came when Kirk's grieving widow, Erika Kirk, said she forgave the man accused of killing her husband. She spoke in a quiet voice, occasionally wiping away tears. TV channels carried her speech 📸 ubiquitously.
📹 Watch Erika Kirk walk on stage
On the assassin's punishment: Erika Kirk told The New York Times ahead of the service that she wouldn't want to decide. "I've had so many people ask, 'Do you feel anger toward this man? Like, do you want to seek the death penalty?'" she said. "I'll be honest. I told our lawyer, I want the government to decide this. I do not want that man's blood on my ledger."
However, Trump took a different tone: The president suggested the alleged shooter should face the death penalty and said he disagreed with Charlie Kirk's love-oriented message. "He did not hate his opponents, he wanted the best for them," Trump said. "That's where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents, and I don't want the best for them. I'm sorry."
At several points, Trump's remarks also veered into rally mode, such as mocking former President Biden, teasing his upcoming autism claims, touting his tariffs and reiterating his claims that Democrats "cheated like dogs" in the 2020 election. 📹 Here's a clip
There was quite a guest list: The White House flew two planes of staff, lawmakers and administration officials to attend the funeral.
Who spoke?: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and conservative pundit Tucker Carlson were among the speakers. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who rarely makes public remarks, also briefly spoke.
Miller blames the left: "They cannot imagine what they have awakened," the deputy chief of staff — and architect of many key Trump policies such as on immigration — declared. "We stand for what is good, what is virtuous and what is noble. And to those trying to incite violence against us? ... What do you have? You have nothing. You are nothing. You are wickedness. You are jealousy. You are envy. You are hatred. You are nothing." 📹 Watch the clip
Read more: 5 takeaways from Kirk's funeral
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