Conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on what would have been his 32nd birthday.
Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10. The death of the right-wing political activist, speaker, and founder of Turning Point USA, was the latest politically motivated attack that once again highlighted the tensions across party lines.
Kirk’s life and legacy were celebrated in a public memorial service that many called a “conservative revival.” Tens of thousands of mourners gathered at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and thousands more watched online as friends, family, and politicians paid tribute.
On October 10, one month after Charlie Kirk’s death, President Donald Trump announced that he would posthumously award him the highest civilian honor—the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Trump told the press that he would rush home from Israel and Egypt to present the award on what would have been his 32nd birthday.
“We’re going to have a great celebration at the White House,” Trump said.
