Donald Trump gave a rambling, freewheeling address at the Charlie Kirk memorial in Alabama on Sunday, taking aim at Joe Biden and trailing a major announcement on autism as well as praising Kirk, who was shot dead on 10 September.
In front of a crowd of tens of thousands, Trump said Kirk was a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom. During the event he sat side-by-side with billionaire Elon Musk, a once trusted adviser with whom the US president had a spectacular public falling out.
He frequently veered into topics entirely unrelated to Kirk, discussing his use of federal forces to police cities and taking a moment to promote an announcement at the White House on Monday.
Here are the key stories at a glance.
Trump says ‘I hate my opponents’ at Kirk memorial
Trump’s remarks were an awkward mix of eulogy and campaign speech, during which he frequently veered away from reading somber remarks about Kirk’s life and violent death to make offhand comments and jokes.
“He did not hate his opponents, he wanted the best for them,” Trump said, before breaking from his prepared remarks to add: “That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them, I’m sorry.”
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Erika Kirk says she forgives shooter
During an emotional address at his public memorial in Glendale, Arizona, the widow of rightwing youth organizer Charlie Kirk said she forgives the man charged with killing her husband.
“My husband, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” Erika Kirk said, before an at-capacity crowd. “That man, that young man – I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do.”
Those in the stadium rose to their feet in applause.
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Kirk memorial mixes rally and revival as mourners vow to spread Maga message
Lauren Gambino was at the memorial and writes: The memorial was part spiritual revival and part political rally … Mourners obliged the red, white and blue “Sunday best” dress code, filling the at-capacity venue with stars, stripes and Maga hats …
As the afternoon wore on, the speeches became sharper and more political – a battle cry that implored the government officials present to be aggressive in “wielding the sword against evil”. There were only a handful of explicit references to Democrats and the left – but many speeches mixed personal remembrances of Kirk with a searing vilification of his ideological opponents.
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Analysis – Vance speech at Kirk memorial has an eye on 2028
David Smith writes that JD Vance’s appearance at the event comes as he methodically builds a profile that blends Trump’s populist bombast with a sharper focus on economic nationalism and cultural warfare.
Smith writes: Vance’s presidential campaign for 2028 is already said to be in “soft launch” mode as he positions himself as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination. He has reportedly expressed a desire for Susie Wiles, the White House of chief staff, to manage his potential campaign.
His most overt move came in March, when he was appointed finance chair of the Republican National Committee – a role unprecedented for a sitting vice-president. It positions him at the nexus of Republican money, allowing frequent interactions with mega-donors.
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Trump officials reportedly set to tie Tylenol to autism risk
Donald Trump’s administration is on Monday expected to tie pregnant women’s use of the popular medicine Tylenol – known as paracetamol elsewhere in the world – to a risk of autism, contrary to medical guidelines, the Washington Post has reported.
Trump officials are also expected to announce an effort to explore how the drug leucovorin could purportedly and potentially treat autism, according to the Post report published Sunday, which cited four sources with knowledge of the plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made.
Trump says Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch likely part of US TikTok deal
Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch will probably be involved in the effort to buy TikTok in the US, Donald Trump said in an interview on Sunday.
The president was asked about the status of the sale of the app during an interview with Peter Doocy on The Sunday Briefing on Fox News. Trump administration officials have signaled that a deal for the Chinese-owned social media platform was imminent, though there has been some confusion about the status of the agreement.
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What else happened today:
Catching up? Here’s what happened on 20 September.
