WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday posthumously awarded America’s highest civilian honor to Charlie Kirk, the assassinated activist who inspired a generation of young conservatives and helped push the nation’s politics further to the right.
Receiving the award on Kirk’s behalf was his widow, Erika. Her voice cracking and often falling to a whisper as she wiped away tears, Erika Kirk talked about her late husband’s life, political beliefs and legacy.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring my husband, in such a profound and meaningful way. And thank you for making this event a priority,” she said. “Your support of our family and the work that Charlie devoted his life to will be something I cherish forever.”
The ceremony coincided with what would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday. It came about a month after the Turning Point USA founder was fatally shot while speaking to a crowd at Utah Valley University.
In a sign of Kirk’s close ties to the administration, he was the first recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in Trump’s second term. The president also spoke at Kirk’s funeral in September, calling him a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom, while Vice President JD Vance accompanied his body home to Arizona on Air Force Two along with Erika Kirk.