The memorial for Charlie Kirk drew tens of thousands of mourners to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday.
The crowd heard speeches from a wide array of Kirk’s friends and loved ones, including President Donald Trump and Charlie’s widow, Erika Kirk.
Of course, the tone and content of the tributes varied from one speaker to the next, with Erika calling for forgiveness and others demanding retribution.
Erika Kirk says Charlie would have forgiven assassin
In her speech, Erika recalled her late husband as a man who “wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life.”
“Our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.’ That young man … I forgive him,” Erika Kirk said.
“I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it’s what Charlie would do.”
Those comments came on the heels of a New York Times interview in which Erika revealed that she will not push for the death penalty for Charlie’s killer.
A 22-year-old Utah native named Tyler Robinson has been arrested for the murder and is currently awaiting trial.
Erika’s comments contrast sharply with those made by Trump during Sunday’s memorial.
Trump blasts Jimmy Kimmel, says he ‘hates’ opponents in fiery speech
Trump struck a very different tone in his lengthy address to the crowd, at one point lashing out at “a canceled late night TV show where the anchor had no talent and no ratings.”
The president was obviously addressing the recent decision from ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel following pressure from the FCC.
From there, Trump highlighted the ways in which his personal philosophy differs from Kirk’s:
“I’m not here to fight them — I want them to know them and love them,” Trump quoted Kirk as saying of his opponents on the day of his death.
“In that private moment on his dying day, we find everything we need to know about who Charlie Kirk truly was,” Trumo continued, adding:
“He did not hate his opponents, he wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them, I’m sorry.”
It’s the sort of off-the-cuff remark that we’ve come to expect from Trump — but even the president’s supporters seem divided on the question of whether such rhetoric is appropriate for a memorial service.