Slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk to be awarded Medal of Freedom, highest US civilian honour, Trump announces
Slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk to be awarded Medal of Freedom, highest US civilian honour, Trump announces
Donald Trump has announced the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, for slain right-wing activist and influencer Charlie Kirk, who was his longtime ally .
Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot dead when he was speaking at an event in Utah on Wednesday.
"Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and inspiration to millions and millions of people," President Trump said during an event at the Pentagon on Thursday.
Also read | Chilling videos capture moment Charlie Kirk was shot dead in Utah: Blow-by-blow account
"I have no doubt Charlie's voice and courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on," he added, as per a video feed shared by the news outlet Fox.
The announcement came while FBI officials shared updates with the media on the as-yet-unidentified assassin. The agency's officials said they have images of him and that the "high-powered rifle" used for the assassination has been found.
Kirk was shot when he was speaking at a student-sponsored outdoor event with his ‘Turning Point USA’ advocacy group at Utah Valley University. After being shot in the neck, he was rushed to the Timpanogos Regional Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead a few hours later.
Trump posted on social media immediately after: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
Kirk was also a top podcaster, identified himself as a “culture warrior”, and had led efforts to get Republican Party supporters to vote in larger numbers in the 2024 election that Trump won.
