President Trump announced plans to posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk during a September 11 ceremony at the Pentagon.
? JUST IN: President Trump is awarding Charlie Kirk the PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM posthumously.
THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. ???pic.twitter.com/ALHlgrTsqX
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 11, 2025
The award recognizes Kirk’s role in mobilizing young conservatives and shaping the MAGA movement. Kirk founded Turning Point USA in 2012 at age 18, growing it into a major force with over 800 campus chapters and $100 million in annual revenue.
Trump credited Kirk with understanding the “heart of the youth” better than anyone, praising his efforts in countering left-wing campus indoctrination.
Kirk was assassinated, shot in the neck, on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, sparking a manhunt for the assassin. The assassination prompted Trump and many patriots to blame “radical left” rhetoric for inciting violence against conservatives like Kirk.
? BREAKING: The Charlie Kirk shooter’s ammunition, found inside the bolt action rifle, had TRANSGENDER and ANTIFA engravings, sources confirm to both WSJ and Steven Crowder
We need to get serious about transgender vioIence NOW!
THE ASYLUMS MUST REOPEN. pic.twitter.com/9YUULr1adD
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 11, 2025
Flags were lowered to half-staff nationwide, including at the White House, following Kirk’s assassination.
Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour” aimed to equip students against progressive ideologies, with the Utah event as its kickoff. As a close Trump ally, Kirk advised on 2016 and 2024 campaigns, hosted a top-rated podcast, and spoke at major GOP events like the RNC.
Conservatives hailed the decision, viewing Kirk as a martyr who died confronting leftist dominance in academia. Trump expressed sympathies to Kirk’s wife Erika and family, calling him “loved and admired by all.”
Kirk’s death has unified patriots in calls to curb political violence fueled by divisive left-wing narratives.