Leavitt Twists Herself to Explain Why Trump’s OK to ‘Hate’
The press secretary struggled to defend the president’s declaration of loathing for his opponents.
Karoline Leavitt wriggled through a contorted defense of President Donald Trump’s brazen declaration that he hates his opponents.
While Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika used Sunday’s memorial service to forgive her husband’s killer and celebrate the late right-wing activist’s efforts to foster dialogue across the political spectrum, the president struck a markedly different tone.
“He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry,” Trump said during his meandering speech at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium.
Minutes before the president declared his hate for his opponents, Erika Kirk had said in her speech, “The answer to hate is not hate.” The two later shared a tender moment on stage.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
“How does that square with bringing down the temperature of political violence in this country?” a reporter asked Leavitt of Trump’s comment during her press briefing Monday.
“Look, the president is authentically himself. I think that’s why millions of Americans across the country love him and support him, including Erika Kirk,” the 28-year-old White House press secretary replied, without addressing the question at hand.
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Trump, 79, has repeatedly claimed that the “radical left” is driving political violence in the country while simultaneously agitating political tensions himself.
He used his speech at Kirk’s memorial to take a swipe at political opponents on “the left,” who he has blamed for Kirk’s killing, even though the Justice Department investigators say they have so far failed to find evidence connecting the suspect to any left-wing groups or ideologies.
“No side in American politics has a monopoly on disturbed or misguided people, but there’s one part of our political community which believes they have a monopoly on truth, goodness and virtue,” Trump said, adding that Kirk’s death was “the eventual consequence of that kind of thinking.”
The president previously flaunted his unapologetic self-interest when he told a group of reporters, “Fly safely. You know why I say that? Because I’m on the flight.”
Brian Snyder/REUTERS
The president’s declaration of hate for his opponents came just minutes after Erika, 36, declared in her speech, “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.”
The service concluded with Trump embracing Erika on stage as the crowd cheered them on.
Trump previously flaunted his unapologetic self-interest when he told a group of reporters on Air Force One last week, “Fly safely. You know why I say that? Because I’m on the flight. I want to get home, otherwise I wouldn’t care.”
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