President Donald Trump posthumously awards the Medal of Freedom for Charlie Kirk to his widow Erika Kirk, Tuesday, October 14, 2025, during a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)
Trump Posthumously Awards Charlie Kirk Presidential Medal of Freedom
Nation’s Highest Civilian Honor Presented on What Would Have Been Kirk’s 32nd Birthday
A Divine Moment: “God Was Watching”
At the start of the Medal of Freedom ceremony, President Trump noted the weather was “supposed to be terrible,” with rain expected throughout the day. However, as the ceremony began, sunshine broke through the clouds over the Rose Garden.
A Champion for America
Kirk, who was fatally shot at an event at Utah Valley University in September, was among the most significant rightwing activists in the modern political era, galvanizing a younger generation of conservatives to engage in politics and support Trump’s candidacy ahead of the 2024 election.
President Trump credited Kirk with helping the administration win the presidential election, noting his unwavering enthusiasm and optimism for the future of the country.
The president added that while he thought it was going to be close, Kirk “helped make it happen” by mobilizing citizens to vote across the nation.
A Journey Halfway Around the Globe
Trump revealed he “raced back halfway around the globe” to present the medal after brokering a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. He admitted he “didn’t have the courage” to ask Kirk’s widow, Erika, to move the ceremony date when he realized it would fall on Charlie’s birthday.
Trump had announced he would present the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the conservative activist the day after Kirk was fatally shot.
Erika Kirk: Carrying the Torch Forward
Erika Kirk accepted the medal on her husband’s behalf on what would have been his 32nd birthday. She was named CEO of Turning Point USA in the days after her husband’s assassination.
Message from their 3-year-old daughter:
“Happy birthday, Daddy” 💕
In her remarks, Erika Kirk declared:
- On Charlie’s faith: “He did pray for his enemies. I saw him do it. He also loved people when it was inconvenient.”
- On his legacy: “He ran his race with endurance, and he kept the faith. And now he wears the crown of a righteous martyr.”
- On their son: She noted that her son, who isn’t yet talking, “in classic Kirk family fashion, his actions spoke louder than his words… decided to become the man of the house and be fully potty trained at 16 months.”
Erika Kirk thanked President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for the ceremony, and Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance for the “unbelievable encouragement” of their friendship. The Vances, close friends of the Kirks, accompanied Erika Kirk home from Utah, carrying her husband’s casket on the vice president’s plane.
White House Statement
“For Charlie.”
“Charlie Kirk was assassinated in the prime of his life for speaking the truth, living his faith, & relentlessly fighting for America. That is why today President Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk our nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
A Legacy of Action
“Freedom is not a theory, it’s a testimony. Every single day the Trump Administration will continue to carry out the mission for which Charlie Kirk lived.”
Source:
Hugo Lowell, The Guardian | Washington
Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 23:40 BST
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