President Donald Trump will present Charlie Kirk’s posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom to his widow Erika Kirk at the White House on Tuesday afternoon.
The president raced back from his diplomatic commitments in Israel and Egypt on Monday in order to be back in Washington, D.C., to honor Kirk on what would have been the activist’s 32nd birthday.
Andrew Kolvet, Kirk’s podcast producer, thanked Trump in advance for “moving heaven and earth” to return in time to reward the Turning Point USA founder with America’s highest civilian accolade.
Kirk was shot dead by a rooftop sniper as he debated students on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah, on September 10.
Tuesday’s ceremony in the East Room of the White House, scheduled for 4pm ET, will reunite the president with Kirk’s widow, with whom he shared a stage at a memorial event in Glendale, Arizona, last month, at which she said she forgave her husband’s killer.
At the same event, Trump himself said of Kirk: “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk, and neither now will history.
“Because while Charlie has been reunited with his creator in heaven, his voice on earth will let go through the generations, and his name will live forever in the eternal chronicle of America’s greatest patriots.”
Speaking to Fox and Friends on Tuesday morning, Turning Point COO Tyler Bowyer said Kirk’s medal was “well deserved” and applauded Erika Kirk for the “incredible strength” she had shown in supporting her young family since last month’s tragedy.
In advance of the ceremony, the House and Senate both approved resolutions to mark October 14 as a “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk.”
Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott said of the deceased when introducing his version: “Charlie was a good man – a devout husband, father, and friend. His life was shaped by his faith and the idea that in America, debate and discussion are crucial to the betterment of our country.
“He believed in God, the American dream, the value of family, and the principles of our great nation.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed last month that another resolution to honor “the life and legacy of our friend Charlie Kirk” had passed his chamber.
While neither one creates a national holiday, the president has not ruled out making that prospect a reality in the future.
Among other tributes to Kirk, Florida GOP Representative Anna Paulina Luna has called for a statue to be erected in his memory at the U.S. Capitol in tribute. One has already been commissioned at the New College of Florida. In the same state, lawmakers are currently considering a bill to rename roads to honor Kirk near its universities and colleges.
Kirk memorial events are meanwhile being held in several states across the country on Tuesday, with large public gatherings scheduled in Alaska, New Jersey, Texas and Florida, as well as a rally honoring his memory is being held in Arizona, the state the Chicago native made his home.
Turning Point USA has meanwhile announced a string of events while church and community organizations that aligned with Kirk’s message are likewise expected to mark the day with worship and prayer events.
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