Donald Trump’s opening remarks at the Charlie Kirk memorial have left many puzzled, as he appeared to stray from the main topic.
Charlie Kirk, a conservative commentator, was tragically shot and killed at an event held at Utah Valley University in September. His death prompted numerous right-wing figures and politicians to speak about his impact.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, expressed his condolences and announced his intention to honor Kirk with the nation’s highest civilian award.
On Tuesday, October 14, coinciding with Kirk’s birthday, a ceremony took place at the White House where Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Kirk.
The manner in which Trump began the ceremony, however, has sparked criticism, with many on social media expressing disapproval.
Trump started his speech by energetically asking everyone to sit before digressing into a discussion about renovations he made to the White House.
He commented: “This is the first time we have been at the new and improved Rose Garden.
“People are loving it, they are loving it like they have not loved a lot of things.
“We have the presidential walk of fame, which you just saw and it just opened, we wanted to get it opened for this occasion.
“We were hoping to get outside and the weather allowed us to…it was supposed to be a terrible rainy day, I was telling Erika, God was watching and he didn’t want that for Charlie, he just didn’t want that.”
Critics were displeased with Trump shifting focus from honoring Kirk to highlighting his own achievements.
One Twitter user commented on a video of Trump’s introduction, saying: “Way to make a memorial about himself… again. Small surprise, I suppose, when the original Charlie Kirk memorial was effectively a campaign rally.”
Another remarked: “Once again, Trump makes this all about himself and what he has done to the Rose Garden. How pathetic!”
A third person wrote: “He never sets the right tone, he doesn’t know how to be respectful, – he truly is incapable of thinking about anyone but himself.”
Another simply noted: “It’s an eulogy but first let’s talk about me!”
Erika Kirk, Kirk’s wife, accepted the award on behalf of her late husband, becoming emotional during the ceremony.
In a touching moment, Erika shared that she had asked their 3-year-old daughter what she would say to her father on his birthday.
She recounted: “’Happy birthday daddy. I want to give you a stuffed animal. I want you to eat a cupcake with ice cream. And I want you to go have a birthday surprise. I love you.’”