Amna Nawaz
@PBSNewsHour·5.3M subscribers·62.2K videos
WATCH: Trump ‘authentically himself’ for saying he hates opponents at Kirk funeral, White House says
Posted
September 22, 2025
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September 22, 2025
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1:20Now PlayingWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Donald Trump on Monday for his recent comments about hating his opponents, saying the president is "authentically himself."
While speaking at conservative activist Charlie Kirk's memorial service in Arizona on Sunday, Trump said he disagreed with Kirk on wanting the best for his opponents.
"That’s where I disagreed with Charlie," Trump said. "I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry."
His comments came after Kirk's widow, Erika, said she forgave the man who killed her husband and that "the answer to hate is not hate."
During a news briefing, PBS News Hour's Liz Landers asked Leavitt about Trump's remarks amid a time of heightened political tensions in the country.
"Look, the president is authentically himself," Leavitt said. "I think that's why millions of Americans across the country love him and support him, including Erika 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."
Kirk, one of the country's most prominent conservative activists, was fatally shot earlier this month while speaking at Utah Valley University. His killing comes amid a rise in political violence across the United States, targeting both Democrats and Republicans.
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