Trump bids emotion farewell to Charlie Kirk. Watch full 43-minute speech

US President Donald Trump on Sunday, spoke at the memorial for far-right activist Charlie Kirk. Speaking at the service, he called Charlie a devoted husband, father, son, Christian, patriot and a ‘giant of his generation’ who was killed for ‘speaking for freedom and justice for God.’

Trump also addressed Charlie’s widow, Erica, comforting millions and millions of people amid the grief.(AP)

Calling him a ‘martyr’, Trump said that his voice will still live through generations after his death. “In the eternal chronicle of America’s greatest patriots, he will live forever”

Trump also addressed Charlie’s widow, Erica, comforting millions and millions of people amid the grief. He said that Kirk’s children will grow up in a country where their father is “honoured and revered as a great American hero.”

Trump also mentioned Kirk’s parents in the speech, saying that Kirk had done more good in the world in 31 years than even successful people can bring in a lifetime. “Charlie could always draw a big crowd”, he said, adding that everyone is here, including Vice President JD Vance and members of the US Senate.

“It is agonising and unthinkable to say goodbye to a patriot whose heart still had so much to give,” Trump said further. He also talked about the life of Kirk and his early struggles and said that one of the last things he told Trump was, “Save Chicago.” Kirk was a good athlete and greatly admired Rush Limbaugh.

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Trump talked about Charlie’s days at the University of Wisconsin and how he travelled 300 days to raise money and spread his message. “It wasn’t easy, but Charlie wasn’t in it for money at all,” Trump said further.

Highlighting Charlie’s efforts for MHR Make America Healthy Again, Trump said a major announcement will be made tomorrow related to autism. “We’ll be missing him tomorrow,” he said.

Charlie was the one who talked to Trump about a man from Ohio by the name of JD Vance. Trump also said that sometimes he would travel four hours by plane to speak at an event at Charlie’s request. “I almost always went because you never wanted to let Charlie down.”

Trump also spoke about his experience of receiving the news about Charlie, calling it a ‘surreal experience.’ “They told me (about Kirk) in front of a group of very powerful people, I said, You have to leave now.”

Trump also revealed that before coming to the Utah campus the day he was shot, Charlie was warned by a staff member who said that there were many people opposed to his views. “Charlie wrote back to the staff member saying, I’m not here to fight them. I want to know them and love them”

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Trump said that Charlie did not hate his opponents, but “his quest for open dialogue was met with menacing hate.” Trump called the agitators against Charlie, paid and said that they are paid by very bad people.

“ He knew the risks, but he and I shared a certain motto: never back down and never, ever surrender.”

Talking about the attack on Kirk, he said, “It was an attack on our entire nation.” “The gun was pointed at him, but the bullet was aimed at all of us,” he said further. Charlie Kirk, Trump said, has become “bigger today than he was just two weeks ago.”

He announced that Kirk will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour. Further, the Department of Justice is also investigating networks of “radical left maniacs who fund, organise and perpetrate political violence,” Trump said.

Towards the end, Trump appreciated the tradition of open debate that Charlie practised, calling it “not a pillar of our democracy but the basis of our entire society.” Trump said that the country will carry forward the torch of liberty that Charlie Kirk held.