Trump Announces He is giving Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk

On Thursday (Sept. 11), Donald Trump revealed plans to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s top civilian distinction—to Republican activist Charlie Kirk, following Kirk’s death in a college campus shooting.

“Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty, and an inspiration to millions and millions of people,” Trump said. “We miss him greatly, yet I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on.”

Kirk was a conservative activist, author, and commentator best known as the founder and president of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization focused on promoting conservative values among young Americans, especially on college campuses.

Born in 1993, Kirk gained national attention in his early 20s for organizing events and speaking engagements advocating for limited government, free markets, and pro-Trump policies.

On September 10, 2025, Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at an event on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was part of the “American Comeback Tour,” and at the time of the attack he was hosting a “Prove Me Wrong” table, a format in which he engages in debates with the public.

The shot that killed him struck his neck.

Trump called the assassination a “dark moment for America,” in a message from the Oval Office on Wednesday. 

“To my great fellow Americans, I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah,” Trump said in a four-minute video.

“Charlie inspired millions. And tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror,” the president, seated behind the Resolute desk, continued.