President Donald Trump on Tuesday posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, calling him “one of the greatest figures of his generation.”
The Rose Garden ceremony was held on what would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday.
Erika Kirk accepted the award on her late husband’s behalf.
Trump, during his remarks, said he returned from his diplomatic mission in the Middle East to honor his late friend. The president said he considered delaying the ceremony but decided to stick with the schedule given the day’s significance. It was important to him to prioritize honoring him, the president said.
Members of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) also attended Tuesday afternoon’s ceremony, which was moved to the Rose Garden to accommodate the crowd.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the government's highest civilian honor. The award is often presented to Americans to recognize significant achievements in the arts, public service, science, or other fields, according to a congressional description of the award.
Trump described Kirk as “wise beyond his years.” He tirelessly traveled the country to reawaken the national identity and reignite a spiritual awakening, according to the president.
Erika said her husband had a “divine release” and was “free from fear.”
“His name, Charles, literally means free man,” she said during the ceremony. “ And that’s exactly who my husband was.”
Kirk started TPUSA, a student organization, in 2012 when he was just 18 years old.
The popular conservative personality was assassinated on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University. Kirk was speaking at the opening event of his latest series, titled the “American Comeback Tour,” when he was shot in the neck with a single bullet from a gunman perched on the rooftop of a campus building.
His popularity skyrocketed as TPUSA became one of the largest political groups in the nation, attracting thousands of young people to the conservative movement. Kirk was known for debating students on college campuses across the country, promoting conservative values and publicly opposing progressive ideologies.
Kirk later started a popular podcast called "This is Charlie Kirk" and established a massive following on social media, furthering grassroots activism and political engagement among youth.
Trump and other supporters say that Kirk had a unique rhetorical gift that resonated with young Americans.
Kirk had a huge influence in drawing young voters to support Trump. He used his speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in 2024 to praise Trump as an economic master and argue that Gen Z voters could not afford another Democratic administration.
“Democrats have given hundreds of billions of dollars to illegals and foreign nations, while Gen Z has to pinch pennies just so that they can never own a home, never marry, and work until they die, childless,” Kirk said.
Kirk also fought for family values, encouraging young people to get married and start families. Along with his wife, Kirk leaves behind two young children.
Following his death, Erika was named the CEO of TPUSA.