Those aren’t the words the Trump spokes-puppet used, but that’s what she was basically saying while spinning like a top during her press briefing this Monday. As we already discussed here, here’s the bile Trump was spewing during the Charlie Kirk memorial service over the weekend:
Donald Trump spoke at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, praising him for uniting people and debating his opponents. Trump, however, expressed his hatred for his “opponent” during what is supposed to be a solemn event. Trump, who won the evangelical vote, told a story about Kirk on the day he was killed. Kirk, according to Trump, wanted to “lead them into the great way of life in our country.” Trump couldn’t hold back his hatred for others.
“In that private moment on his dying day, we find everything we need to know about who Charlie Kirk was,” Trump told the crowd. “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,” Trump continued. “I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry. I am sorry, Erika.”
“But now maybe Erika can talk to me and the whole group and convince me that’s not right,” he added. “But right now I can’t stand my opponent.”
Leavitt was asked about Trump’s remarks, and rather than actually addressing what he said, gave us the standard GOP line about how Americans just love Trump because of how “authentic” he is, and excused the behavior entirely because Trump was standing on stage with Kirk’s wife, as though that makes what he said alright.
LANDERS: Thanks, Caroline. Liz Landers with PBS NewsHour. I just wanted to follow up quickly on something that the President had said yesterday. So we heard from Erika Kirk. She said she forgives the man who shot and killed her husband. And then right after that, we heard from the President who said, I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them.
How does that square with bringing down the temperature of political violence in this country? And then if I could, I had a follow up on Venezuela, too.
LEAVITT: Look, the President is authentically himself. I think that’s why millions of Americans across the country love him and support him, including Erica Kirk, who you saw so beautifully was on stage with the president in an unthinkable moment, in the midst of an unthinkable tragedy, and was leaning on the president for support during that time. And he was there to give it to her, as well as the vice president and many other top-ranking cabinet officials.
Trump and his administration have no intention of “bringing the temperature down,” ever, and Leavitt knows this full well. They have to keep denying reality for the lemmings in the base though.
