CNN’s MAGA pundit Scott Jennings praised President Donald Trump’s “beautiful remarks” during Sunday’s Charlie Kirk memorial service, in which the president labelled his alleged killer a “cold-blooded monster” whom he “hated.”
The memorial event in Arizona saw thousands of conservatives gather to both mourn and evangelize Kirk following his assassination on Sept. 10. It included a tearful eulogy from Kirk’s widow Erika, in which she told those in attendance that she “forgave” her husband’s killer and appealed for an end to politically-motivated violence.
Trump, however, in typical fashion, made the event all about himself. Taking the stage following Kirk’s eulogy, the president delivered a rambling screed against his enemies—both real and imagined—and delivered a hodgepodge of political talking points entirely unrelated to the 31-year-old’s killing.
“Charlie did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them,” Trump said during the eulogy. “That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry, Erika.”
Reflecting on the president’s rhetoric during an appearance on CNN on Monday, Jennings rejected the idea that Trump was sowing discord with his remarks at the service.
“Yeah. Look. I’m not going to criticize the president,” he told host John Berman. “His friend died and he gave the eulogy, and he, you know, he did it in the way that Donald Trump would do it.”
Jennings added: “He made some very beautiful remarks. He made some jokes that only Donald Trump can make. And, you know, he did it in a way that, frankly, I expected him to do it. And I think the crowd responded to it. I think what you saw on the stage yesterday, from Trump to Erika Kirk to all the other speakers—and I thought it was extremely well done and very powerful—was a reflection of the range of emotions that Republicans and conservatives and Christians have felt since Charlie was assassinated.”
Several commentators pointed out that Sunday’s event appeared to more closely resemble a megachurch service or political rally than a typical memorial, with attendees and speakers alike canonizing Kirk as a martyr for conservatism and a major historical figure.
“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said of Kirk during his eulogy. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”
When asked about the religious fervor and cult-like reverence bestowed upon Kirk at the service, Jennings dodged the question.
“Although I think it’s natural for us to try to analyze the politics of this or to nitpick the political actors, to me, yesterday’s event was as much a faith event and a spiritual awakening for the country as it was anything,” he said.
“And so how it affects the midterms or, you know, how it affects Donald Trump the political person, I don’t know. But I know how it affected Scott Jennings, the Christian.”
He added, “And so in Charlie‘s death, perhaps if there‘s a revival of our faith and people looking for something better than what this world often has to offer, that would be a great outcome.”
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