Trump honours late activist Charlie Kirk with Presidential Medal of Freedom at White House

Washington [US], October 15 : US President Donald Trump on Tuesday posthumously awarded conservative activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, describing him as one of the "true American heroes" during a ceremony at the White House Rose Garden.
Erika Kirk, the late activist's widow and current CEO of Turning Point USA, accepted the nation's highest civilian honour on his behalf. A military aide introducing the award said the United States honours Kirk as "a martyr for truth and freedom."
Trump, who returned from the Middle East around 3 a.m. Tuesday, told attendees, "I was going to call Erika and say, 'Erika, could you maybe move it to Friday?'"
He added that it was a "definite" decision to make it back for the event, which coincided with what would have been Kirk's 32nd birthday.
"I would not have missed this moment for anything in the world, nothing," Trump said.
Erika Kirk thanked the president, saying, "Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring my husband in such a profound and meaningful way, and thank you for making this event a priority amid the peace process in the Middle East."
It has been just over a month since Charlie Kirk was killed while speaking at Utah Valley University during his "America Comeback Tour."
Trump called his death "a horrible, heinous, demonic act of murder," adding that "he was assassinated in the prime of his life for boldly speaking the truth."
According to CNN, Vice President JD Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and FBI Director Kash Patel were among those attending the ceremony.
JD Vance, described as a close friend of Kirk, sat in the front row, while Erika Kirk expressed her gratitude to the vice president and his wife for accompanying her husband's remains back to Washington on Air Force Two.
During his remarks, Trump credited Kirk for energising young voters and said his efforts were instrumental in securing electoral support from younger Americans.
Jokingly, the president said that without Kirk's help, "former Vice President Kamala Harris might have been in the White House rather than him."
CNN reported that Trump used the moment to denounce what he described as violence from "far-left radicals," calling their ideology "the devil's ideology."
He declared, "Especially in the wake of Charlie's assassination, our country must have absolutely no tolerance for this radical left, violence, extremism and terror."
However, CNN noted that available data does not support Trump's claims that political violence is primarily perpetrated by left-wing groups.
Trump's speech also touched on other issues, including his administration's efforts to tackle crime and his criticism of what he called "local mismanagement" of wildfires in Los Angeles.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, presented to individuals for "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States," or to world peace and other significant endeavours, has been awarded to 24 recipients during Trump's first term, including Babe Ruth, Justice Antonin Scalia, and Elvis Presley.
As CNN reported, Trump has announced his intention to present future awards to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former HUD Secretary Ben Carson.
Accepting the award, Erika Kirk reflected on her husband's "fearlessness," faith, and commitment to freedom, describing his "servant's heart."
She said, "If the moment had come, he probably would have run for president, but not out of ambition. He would only have done it if that was something that he believed that his country needed from a servant's heart standpoint."
She recalled that her husband often prayed for his opponents, prompting Trump to smile.
At Kirk's funeral, Trump had remarked that, unlike Kirk, "I hate my opponent, and I don't want the best for them."
Fighting back tears, Erika shared a moment with their young daughter, who had said she wanted to celebrate her father's birthday: "She said, 'Happy birthday, Daddy. I want to give you a stuffed animal. I want you to eat a cupcake with ice cream, and I want you to go have a birthday surprise.'"
Closing her remarks, Erika Kirk said, "To live free is the greatest gift, but to die free is the greatest victory. Happy birthday, my Charlie. Happy freedom day."