On Monday, the White House briefing room got a rare dose of honesty.
PBS reporter Liz Landers asked the one question Trump’s team hoped nobody would touch: how do you balance Erika Kirk’s forgiveness with Donald Trump’s rage?
It was a fair setup.
On Sunday, Erika Kirk stood before thousands at her husband’s memorial. Her words carried a kind of strength that silence could not. She quoted scripture, saying, “Our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’” She told the crowd, “That young man … I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it’s what Charlie would do.”
Moments later, Trump took the stage and struck a completely different tone. “I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them,” he said. “Biden was always a mean guy, but never a smart guy. We go back 30 years, 40 years, he’s a stupid guy. He was always a mean son of a b—h. How’s it working? Not working too well for him now. When you start feeling sorry for him, remember he was a bad guy.”
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The contrast was jarring.
Landers cut right to it. “How does that square with bringing down the temperature of political violence in this country?” she asked Karoline Leavitt. It was direct. No fluff. Exactly what needed to be asked.
Leavitt, of course, had no real answer. She leaned on the usual defense: “The President is authentically himself.”
Q: How does Trump saying “I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them” square with bringing down the temperature of political violence?
LEAVITT: Look, the president is authentically himself. I think that’s why millions of Americans across the country love him. pic.twitter.com/H4uam9UCUN
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 22, 2025
According to her, millions love him for that, Erika included. She pointed out how Erika stood with Trump during the service, as if standing beside someone automatically endorses every word they spit out. And just like that, Leavitt pivoted to Venezuela.
It was classic Trump-world cleanup. When the question gets tough, change the subject and hope people forget. But no one did. The clip spread online in minutes. People couldn’t get over how tone-deaf the whole thing looked.
So it’s now ok to be full of hatred as long as you’re authentically being yourself?
— Beyond-Charting 📈 (@Beyond_Charting) September 22, 2025
She never answers the question
— YouGottaBillieve (@ugottabillieve) September 22, 2025
Unbelievable.
They’re selling hate as “authenticity” — as if venom is a leadership trait.
Since when is fueling division something to love in a president?— AnatolijUkraine (@AnatoliUkraine) September 22, 2025
That incites violence! He needs to be removed!!!
— bowlerct (@bowlerctmd) September 22, 2025
Her answer literally does nothing to justify his consistent dehumanization and vitriolic demeanor; and she knows this. She is aware what’s happening. She just has to keep the visage up.
— tree herder 💍 (@Bliss_Hughes) September 22, 2025
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