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Trump posthumously awards Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk
During an event at the White House on Tuesday, President Donald Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed last month at a Utah college event.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed last month at a Utah college event.
The ceremony coincided with what would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday. It came just over 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 Kirk's widow, Erika.
President Donald Trump posthumously awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to late conservative activist Charlie Kirk as he presents the Medal to his wife Erika Kirk (L) during a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House on October 14, 2025 i …
What they're saying:
"We’re here to honor and remember a fearless warrior for liberty, beloved leader who galvanized the next generation like nobody I’ve ever seen before, and an American patriot of the deepest conviction, the finest quality and the highest caliber," Trump said Tuesday afternoon.
Of Kirk's killing, Trump said, "He was assassinated in the prime of his life for boldly speaking the truth, for living his faith and relentless fighting for a better and stronger America."
RELATED: Charlie Kirk to receive posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom
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Erika Kirk speaks at husband’s award ceremony
President Donald Trump has posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Kirk was shot and killed last month at a Utah college event. His widow, Erika, said during her husband’s memorial ceremony in Arizona, that in the midst of her grief she was finding comfort that her husband left this world without regrets.
Who was Charlie Kirk?
Dig deeper:
Kirk was the founder and executive director of Turning Point USA, one of the largest national student conservative organizations in the country.
RELATED: What is Turning Point USA? Charlie Kirk's nonprofit
Turning Point USA is a "movement dedicated to identifying, organizing, and empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets, and limited government," his page says.
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Pres. Trump reacts after Charlie Kirk’s death
President Donald Trump has released a video on social media related to the death of Charlie Kirk. The conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA was shot while speaking at a Utah Valley University event in Orem, Utah.
Since the inception of Turning Point USA in 2012, Kirk, then 18, grew Turning Point USA to have representation on over 2,000 high schools and college campuses nationwide and over 260,000 student members.
Despite early misgivings, Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, during the general election campaign.
RELATED: The Issue Is: Charlie Kirk, Scott Turner
Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the then-president. Trump and his son were equally effusive and often spoke at Turning Point conferences.
He appeared on Fox News, CNBC, and FOX Business News over 200 times, according to his account.
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Witnesses describe Charlie Kirk shooting
Charlie Kirk is now in critical condition following a shooting during an event at Utah Valley University.
Featured in Forbes's "30 Under 30" list, Kirk was the youngest speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention and the opening speaker at the 2020 RNC. He also authored several books, including "The MAGA Doctrine," a New York Times and Amazon bestseller.
He also hosted "The Charlie Kirk Show," a nationally syndicated daily radio show on Salem Radio Network and news podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Charlie Kirk shot
The backstory:
Kirk was killed by a single shot in an apparent targeted attack during an outdoor event last month at Utah Valley University.
Videos posted to social media from Utah Valley University show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans "The American Comeback" and "Prove Me Wrong."
RELATED: Video shows moment Charlie Kirk shot during university event
A single shot rings out and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as a large volume of blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators are heard gasping and screaming before people start to run away.
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Charlie Kirk suspect appears in court remotely
The 22-year-old man charged with killing Charlie Kirk made his second court appearance remotely. Tyler Robinson is charged with aggravated murder in the Kirk assassination. Robinson's newly appointed attorney Kathryn Nester is asking a judge for more time to review evidence in his case.
Prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk.
Investigators say that after Robinson fired the single fatal shot, he texted his romantic partner and said to look under a keyboard for a note.
"I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it," it said according to court documents.
Residents of Lemont, Illinois, come together in a serene park setting to pay tribute to Charlie Kirk during a vigil on September 11, 2025.Turning Point USA headquarters was established in Lemont in 2012 by founder Charlie Kirk. (Photo by Jacek Boczar …
After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson, asked if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, "I am, I’m sorry."
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk matched Robinson.
Charlie Kirk funeral
Big picture view:
The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, drew tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance, other senior administration officials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old firebrand.
RELATED: Read President Donald Trump’s full speech at Charlie Kirk’s funeral
Speakers highlighted Kirk’s profound faith and his strong belief that young conservatives need to get married, have children and pass on their values to keep building their movement. They also repeatedly told conservative activists, sometimes in forceful tones, that the best way to honor Kirk was doubling down on his mission to move American politics further to the right.
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Erika Kirk speaks at husband’s memorial
Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, publicly forgave the man who killed her husband during a memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. "I forgive him because it is what Christ did," she told the thousands of memorial attendees.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, in her own address said in the midst of her grief she was finding comfort that her husband left this world without regrets. She said she forgives the man who is charged with killing him.
RELATED: Erika Kirk: ‘I’ve felt a level of heartache I didn’t even know existed’
The Source: The Associated Press and previous reporting from FOX TV Stations contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.