Charlie Kirk Posthumously Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Charlie Kirk Posthumously Awarded The Presidential Medal Of Freedom
Charlie Kirk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
The POTUS gave the award to Kirk's widow, Erika, who accepted the award on her husband's behalf.
The ceremony took place at the White House Rose Garden on what would have been the media figure's 32nd birthday, according to Newsweek.
Trump addressed the crowd at the event -- which included Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha -- before giving Erika the award, and he described Kirk as a "martyr for truth and for freedom" and compared him to figures like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.
He also spoke about Kirk's death in Orem, Utah last month, and characterized the conservative activist's murder as "demonic."
47's speech turned topical, and he touched on recent events, including his work in the Middle East and ICE activities in Chicago, in his speech.
Erika also addressed the crowd, and tearfully claimed the Presidential Medal of Freedom would have been "the best birthday gift" her late husband could have received.
Kirk's widow -- who's since taken over as the CEO of Turning Point USA -- sent a shout-out to the various chapters of the organization, whom she called the "heartbeat of this movement."
Trump and Erika both gave speeches at Kirk's public memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona last month.