Trump awards Charlie Kirk Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously

Friends, colleagues and pastors of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk are celebrating his life and legacy of promoting faith, family and patriotism, as president Donald Trump prepares to award him the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on Tuesday.

“Although he was taken from us too soon, his legacy will inspire generations to come and outlive us all,” Andrew Colvitt, executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” told Fox News Digital. “He represents the best of America and deserves this award and every other accolade possible. Thank you to President Trump for literally turning world events around to honor Charlie on his 32nd birthday.”

“Only Charlie can do that,” Colvet added.

Kirk was assassinated on September 10 while attending a TPUSA event on the campus of Utah Valley University. The conservative movement leader was sitting under a tent while speaking to students when a bullet rang out and struck Kirk in the neck, killing him.

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In the wake of Kirk’s shocking assassination, Republicans and conservatives defended his legacy of promoting family values, upholding the Constitution and spreading his Christian faith.

Trump announced in September that he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him “a giant of his generation, a champion of freedom, and an inspiration to millions and millions of people.”

“I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and the courage he placed in the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on,” Trump said on September 11 when he announced he would give Kirk the honor.

Tyler Boyer, TPUSA’s chief operating officer, told Fox Digital that the awards ceremony will be felt by all the young people who participated in the conservative advocacy group.

“Charlie will be honored today on behalf of the millions of conservative activists he helped save the movement and the country. Today at the White House, this award will be felt by every young man and woman touched by his work. They can wear it too by continuing to do the work,” Boyer said.

David Englehart, lead pastor of Kings Church in New York City and TPUSA board member, told Fox News Digital that it was “a great honor to be able to witness this moment that recognizes Charlie’s courage, conviction and leadership in defense of faith and freedom.”

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“Charlie is a fitting recipient of the Medal of Freedom because he believes that God’s moral system found in faith is not the limit of freedom but the soil in which it grows,” said pastor and friend to both Charlie Kirk and his wife, Erika. “People who destroy that soil in the name of safe spaces and protection from ‘dangerous ideas’ will soon find their land barren. Charlie stood for a freedom that was rightly regulated and grounded in the danger of God’s system.”

In his remarks about Kirk, Colvitt added that the conservative force’s deep faith and calls to protect freedom and the Constitution will continue to energize Americans even after his death.

Charlie Kirk was a conservative activist who led Turning Point USA. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)

“Charlie dedicated his entire being to saving America, and in so many ways he has accomplished more than that,” Colvet said. “He proved that the blessings of freedom could be passed on to a whole new generation, even when many thought all hope was lost. He proved them all wrong. His message of life and death sparked a revival of faith and freedom around the world, an impact we will never fully understand.”

Trump awards Charlie Kirk the Medal of Freedom after campus assassination

Kirk is scheduled to receive the president’s highest civilian honor on Tuesday at 4 p.m. EDT. It marks what would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals who presidents determine have made exceptional contributions to the country.

An attendee waves an American flag before a memorial service for Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, US, Sunday, September 21, 2025. (Rebecca Noble/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Rob McCoy — Kirk’s longtime pastor, friend and co-president of TPUSA Faith — added in a commentary for Fox News Digital that Kirk “paid the ultimate sacrifice” to promote and protect freedom.

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“Charlie Kirk fought for freedom his entire adult life and paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect and defend this inalienable right given to humanity by the God that Charlie trusted and loved,” McCoy said.

President Donald Trump joins Erica, widow of Charlie Kirk, on stage at a memorial service for the founder of Turning Point USA in Arizona on September 21, 2025. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

Following Kirk’s death, his widow, Erika, was elected TPUSA’s new CEO to continue her husband’s legacy of galvanizing younger generations with conservative principles.

“I feel a sense of profound gratitude to Erica Kirk and the entire Turning Point USA team for their tireless work in continuing to shape a generation grounded in truth and purpose,” Englehart added.

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The awards ceremony will be held at the White House and follows Trump’s return from the Middle East earlier on Thursday after Trump declared the end of the war in Gaza, which has been raging since 2023.