President Donald Trump on Thursday participated in ceremonies honoring the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the 24th anniversary of the event.
"This morning, we recall the light of America's best and bravest and the love they showed in their final moments In their memory, we make a solemn pledge and a noble promise: we will honor -- always -- our great heroes," Trump said.
"On that fateful day, savage monsters attacked the very symbols of our civilization," he added. "Yet here in Virginia, and in New York, and in the skies over Pennsylvania, Americans did not hesitate. They stood on their feet, and they showed the world that we will never yield, we will never bend, we will never give up, and our great American flag will never, ever fail."
One thing I didn't like about Trump in his first term was that he wasn't cool-headed. I know he had a lot of attacks incoming, but I think they really got to him, and he was on edge. And from that came a lot of the angry but impotent bluster that I didn't like.
The problem with anger isn't that it's always unjustified. It often is. But anger often makes you look foolish. The ideal man-- which we can never be -- would never be angry, because he would always have the confidence that in the end, he'll prevail over his enemies.
The thing about anger is: It shows that you do not have control over your situation, and you're lashing out emotionally over that. It's a double hit against your masculinity.
This time, maybe because of his success, maybe because he really does have a whole new perspective on life since his miraculous survival of yet another leftist assassination attempt, he is much cooler and much more presidential. I like it.
I mean, he still does bluster. He said he might deport Elon Musk or cancel the government's contracts with his businesses, which I didn't like.
But overall -- much more temperate and confident and cool.
He says -- cheerfully -- that he intends to dismantle the "radical left lunatic" networks.
He also spoke to Charlie Kirk's widow -- what a harsh word -- and says she is, of course, "devastated."
But a lot of nurses and doctors and of course teachers and government workers, including at the DOW, are still celebrating her widowhood and his children's orphanhood.
It's so sad they'll be unemployed and unemployable. Please join me in a moment of silence --
what's that, you're saying "No"? Oh okay, then like Congress, we'll move on.
Trump said he had "some indication" of the Marxist assassin's motives, but wisely did not drop hints about it. He just coolly said we'll have more about that later.
"We have to be brave in life."
And that's a nice slogan to keep in the heart.
One last W for Charlie: