Monday on the RealClearPolitics radio show, Andrew Walworth, Carl Cannon, and Tom Bevan discussed Sunday’s memorial service for Charlie Kirk, including conflicting remarks by his widow Erika Kirk and President Donald Trump on the subject of forgiveness, and comments from Tulsi Gabbard and Ted Cruz about the First Amendment. After that, the White House is blaming autism on Tylenol use during pregnancy, and the UK, France, Canada, and Australia plan to formally recognize the state of Palestine at the United Nations’ 80th General Assembly in New York this week. Later, RCP White House correspondent Phil Wegmann joins the conversation to talk about how the Charlie Kirk memorial service went over in the West Wing and to preview the president’s speech tomorrow at the UN. You can listen to the show weeknights at 6:00 p.m. on SiriusXM’s POTUS Channel 124 and then on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and here on our website. *** The show opened with Erika Kirk’s remarkable declaration of forgiveness at her husband Charlie’s memorial service last night, contrasted with President Trump’s reluctance to love his enemies. “That is the sort of essence of being a Christian, and she demonstrated it in front of millions upon millions of people,” Tom Bevan said. “I think Democrats who have refused to offer any grace to Charlie Kirk or his family have misread the moment politically. Because what I took away from yesterday is that this is way bigger than just Charlie Kirk, and it is an event that’s going to reverberate through our politics for some time.” “Donald Trump, as a speaker, never fails to disappoint. I’m like Charlie Brown and the football. I always hope he’ll rise to the occasion, and he never does,” Carl Cannon added. “You dont expect a person to tell tall tales at a eulogy.” *** After that, 9 minutes into the conversation, that event also featured some interesting comments from Tulsi Gabbard about free speech advocate Charlie Kirk. Is the Trump administration living up to Kirk’s standards on the First Amendment? “it certainly seems like the shoe is on the other foot, now Democrats are big champions of free speech,” Tom Bevan said. “It was outrageous how eagerly Democrats-and journalists-were to censor other points of view. I don’t think Republicans are as eager to do that. But I think there are some of them that are relishing the idea that Democrats are now getting a little taste of their own medicine.” *** Next, around minute 17, President Trump announced this afternoon that they believe that use of Tylenol by pregnant women and young children can contribute to autism. “The truth is: we don’t know,” Cannon said. “William Parker was a lonely voice on this, and RealClear Investigations had a piece by him six or seven years ago, and this was his theory.” “It’s indisputable that in 1970 there were, I think, four cases of autism per 100,000. Now it’s over 100,” Bevan explained. “Parker’s theory is that some of them have this reaction, based on genetics, based on this compound that starts attacking brain tissue. And that’s what leads to autism. So again, I think more investigation is warranted.” *** And then, around minute 22, the 80th United Nations General Assembly begins tomorrow in New York City. Remarkably, France, the U.K., Portugal, Canada, and Australia all plan to recognize an independent Palestinian state, joining 140 other members that already do. “It’s disappointing-more than disappointing,” Carl Cannon said. “The idea that terrorists go into a country, cross the border, slaughter 1,200 civilians, rape women, take 250 hostages-like something out of Conan the Barbarian-and the reward is they get a country? Yeah. What does that tell you? What are the incentives there?” “And even worse-there’s now talk that Netanyahu vows to retaliate against this. He’s being encouraged to take over the West Bank, annex it. And then Europe says, well, if Israel does that, they’ll retaliate with sanctions,” Bevan added. “So they’ve managed to take a bad situation and make it 10 times worse-really set off a spiral here that I fear is going to end badly.” *** Finally, at timestamp 28, RCP White House correspondent Phil Wegmann joins the conversation to talk about how the Charlie Kirk memorial service went over in the West Wing and to preview the president’s speech tomorrow at the UN. Wegmann said the White House sees the Kirk memorial as “as successful as a somber moment can be.” “One thing that’s interesting, in this political theology question in Erika Kirk’s speech. I don’t know how it’s humanly possible to stand on stage at your husband’s memorial and forgive the killer. As Christians, we’re exhorted to forgive those who oppress us. And then, not 20 minutes later, Donald Trump came on stage and said: Yeah, I don’t forgive my enemies. I’m gonna go after them. I’m gonna destroy them,” he said. “That was the split screen. Which message do Republicans take forward? Is it the bare-knuckled one Trump delivered, or is it the one of peace?” About Trump’s speech tomorrow at the UN, he commented: “I think Donald Trump-while he’s taken the U.S. out of UNESCO and the World Health Organization-won’t pull the U.S. out of the UN entirely, because he loves these moments. They’re as close to professional wrestling as he can get.” *** Don’t miss a single episode of the RealClearPolitics weeknight radio show – subscribe at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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