President Trump offered a contrast to the vision of Christian love from widow Erika Kirk at a memorial service Sunday for slain free speech advocate Charlie Kirk:

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP: Before Charlie arrived on campus, the day he was assassinated. a staff member texted him that there were many critics and students who were opposed to his views and rather strenuously in the crowd. That actually made him feel good, because he wanted to convince them. He understood – he really did. He understood what was right, and he was right about that. A lot of it was based on common sense. By the way, Charlie wrote back to the staff member saying, I’m not here to fight them. I want to know them and love them, and I want to reach them, and try and lead them into a great way of life in our country. 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. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents 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 right. But I can’t stand my opponents. Charlie wasn’t angry in that way. He wasn’t interested in demonizing anyone. He was interested in persuading everyone to the ideas and principles he believed were good, right, and true. Before each appearance he prayed these words: God, use me for your will. He always said the same thing: Use me for your will. And that is exactly what God did. The more success Charlie had – he was getting more and more successful – the more dangerous his mission became. On campuses all over the country, his call for open dialogue was met with menacing hate. There were bomb threats called, fire alarms pulled, and countless rage-filled radicals who tried to shout him down. It was nasty. I used to say, Charlie, this is nasty. You do it at one event and police had to build barricades to protect students from an angry mob of thugs. Many of these people, by the way, are paid a lot of money to do this. They’re agitators. They’re paid agitators.

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