President Trump declared Charlie Kirk “one of America’s greatest patriots,” heaping lavish praise on the slain conservative activist, who was assassinated earlier this month.

“Today America is a nation in grief and a nation in shock and a nation in mourning,” Mr. Trump said, calling Mr. Kirk “one of the brightest lights of our time.”

“He died for what was right for our nation,” he said. “Our greatest evangelist for liberty became immortal.”

“He’s a martyr now,” Mr. Trump continued. “None of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk. And neither now will history.”

“He will live forever in the chronicle of America’s greatest patriots,” he said.

The president was one of two speakers who made a direct reference to Mr. Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson. Mr. Trump called the suspected assassin, “a radicalized, cold-blooded monster.”

Mr. Trump’s remarks came just moments after widow Erika Kirk declared from the podium that she forgives the man accused of murder in the case.

The president later sought to draw further contrast between himself and Mr. Kirk.

“He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie, I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them,” Mr. Trump said. “I’m sorry Erika.”

The president said it’s simply not in his nature to not hate his opponents.

“Erika, you can talk to me and the whole group, but maybe they can convince me that that’s not right. But I can’t stand my opponent,” he said. 

Mr. Trump said Mr. Kirk was killed “for speaking the truth that was in his heart.”

“He was violently killed because he spoke for freedom and justice, for God, country, for reason and for common sense,” Mr. Trump said.

The president recounted that his last conversation with Mr. Kirk was a request to send the National Guard to Chicago, the conservative influencer’s hometown.

“Please sir, save Chicago,” Mr. Trump said Mr. Kirk told him.

“We’re gonna do that, we’re gonna save Chicago from horrible crime,” Mr. Trump said, referencing a possible deployment of the National Guard to the Windy City to crack down on crime.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.