‘How unifying’: Trump condemned for remarks at Charlie Kirk’s funeral

It should go without saying that a funeral service requires a considerable amount of sensitivity – yet US president Donald Trump decided to use his address at the memorial event for assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Arizona on Sunday to attack his political opponents.

In a speech which also saw him tease his administration’s announcement on autism (yes, he really did that, at a funeral), Trump told the crowd: “[Kirk] 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 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 opponent.”

Trump’s remarks were swiftly condemned by social media users, with one referencing the president’s video statement following Kirk’s shooting in which he blamed the “rhetoric” coming from the “radical left” for “the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today”:

“How unifying,” media organisation MeidasTouch responded sarcastically:

Journalist Mehdi Hasan declared Trump the “most openly and proudly divisive president in modern American history”:

Another account branded the president “divider in chief”:

Republicans Against Trump said he was “nothing but a hateful loser”:

And one Twitter/X user asked: “How is this [clown emoji] supposed to unite the American people?”

Others compared Trump’s comments to that of Kirk’s widow, Erika, who appeared on stage and said she forgives the man who killed her husband, saying it is “what Charlie would do”:

Ms Kirk continued: “The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love.

“Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”

Conservative broadcaster Erick Erickson shared both speeches and said “Americans saw two paths they can take” on Sunday night:

Another noted how differently the audience reacted to the two speeches:

Though despite his rant about hating his opponents, it appears Trump was able to take some steps towards burying the hatchet with Elon Musk, as the pair were pictured smiling and shaking hands at the service.

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