Featured Image Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Topics: Politics, Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, US News
Jen Thomas
Topics: Politics, Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, US News
President Donald Trump joined thousands of mourners in Glendale, Arizona, for the memorial of Charlie Kirk.
The 31-year-old political activist was assassinated while answering questions about gun violence at Utah Valley University.
Kirk was struck with a single shot to the neck, and his surgeon has since said Kirk 'saved other people's lives' thanks to his strength.
Trump was joined by Kirk's widow, Erika, and many wondered why she was wearing a white outfit and not black, the traditional sign of mourning.
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Critics also noticed that Donald Trump also wasn't wearing black, and many onlookers were not happy, seeing it as a lack of 'etiquette' for a memorial.
"How rude of Trump. Once again he did not wear a black suit to the funeral, as is customary. The guy has no etiquette." slammed one.
"Trump does Trump. Not even wearing a black tie to the funeral," noted another.
One put it rather more bluntly: "You can tell Trump doesn't give a f***, you always wear a black suit to a funeral."
Also confused by Charlie's wife Erika's outfit, they wrote: "That’s odd that she is not wearing black as if in mourning. Western customs (historical/traditional): Widows typically wear black to signify mourning. If a widower remarried, his new wife would usually wear a normal dress (often white), not a mourning colour."
"Why didn't Erika wear black?" asked another.
It turns out that both of them had a very good reason for their outfit choices.
It was decided that the theme for the memorial would be red, white, and blue, as Kirk was renowned for his patriotism.
The dress code was mentioned on the 'Fight for Charlie' website, and is presumably why Trump opted for a navy blue suit, white shirt, and red tie, while Erika went for an all white outfit.
Erika told the crowd: "I love you Charlie, baby. And I will make you proud."
"The world needs Turning Point USA. It needs a group that will point young people away from the path of misery and sin. It needs something that will lead people away from hell in this world and in the next. It needs young people pointed in the direction of truth and beauty," she continued, after she has been named as the new CEO of Turning Point USA.
"And so I promise you today, every part of our work will become greater," Erika added.
She then stunned audience members as she said she 'forgives' suspected killer Tyler Robinson: “That young man. That young man. On the cross our saviour said, ‘Father forgive them for they know not what they do’ — that man, that young man, I forgive him," she said, to a standing ovation.
“I forgive him because it was what Christ did. And what Charlie would do. 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," she said.
Trump described Kirk as 'a patriot whose heart still had so much to give,' while Vice President JD Vance said Kirk was 'murdered for speaking the truth'.
According to the New York Post, 200,000 people turned up to the memorial at State Farm Stadium, which only has room for 73,000, meaning many were turned away just hours after doors opened at 8am.