Trump awards Charlie Kirk the Medal of Freedom on what would have been his 32nd birthday

The parents of the late Charlie Kirk shake hands with President Donald Trump during a ceremony in his honor in the White House's Rose Garden on Oct. 14, 2025. Credit: @WhiteHouse via X

The White House shared a message on X alongside a photo gallery from the Rose Garden ceremony honoring Charlie Kirk.

“Freedom is not a theory, it's a testimony. Every single day the Trump Administration will continue to carry out the mission for which Charlie Kirk lived. For Charlie.”

The images showed Charlie’s wife Erika delivering heartfelt remarks from the podium with President Donald Trump standing behind her. At one point, Erika pressed her hand to her chest as she spoke, and later embraced the President in an emotional moment.

Charlie’s parents were also pictured greeting President Trump during the ceremony.

The White House photographs captured the weight of the somber occasion for a family who is grieving in the public eye for a husband, father, and son.

Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of "The Charlie Kirk Show" and spokesman for Turning Point USA, joined Laura Ingraham on "The Ingraham Angle" Tuesday to discuss the growing impact of Charlie Kirk’s life and vision.

Kolvet said the day’s White House ceremony honoring Kirk had brought together people from across the political spectrum: “It was a remarkable moment to see just that many amazing… they were Charlie’s friends. I can’t tell you how many people that basically run the free world came up to us and said, anything I can do to help, anything for Charlie.”

While many prominent political and faith leaders attended the Rose Garden ceremony, Kolvet emphasized that Kirk’s heart always remained with students. “Erika kept mentioning the chapters, the chapter leaders and the students that are the vanguard of freedom for this country,” he said.

Since Kirk’s passing, Kolvet revealed that Turning Point has “almost 2,000 high school campuses” and “almost 1,000 new college campuses” launched in just over a month. “Charlie had a vision to put a Club America on every high school campus in America… and that vision is within reach.”

Kolvet also shared Turning Point’s tribute list, "31 Ways to Live Like Charlie," which includes advice ranging from “go to church” and “have kids” to “eat hot sauce” and “outwork your enemy.”

For Kolvet, Kirk’s legacy is already changing lives. “People are picking up the Bible, going back to church, praying for their husbands, getting sober, trying to be better husbands and better wives,” he said. “His message is spreading far and wide, and I think it’s going to outlive us all.”

Reflecting on the loss of his dear friend, Kolvet added: “Sometimes there are really disorienting moments where you think, I’d love to text him this. But I take solace in knowing he is crowned in glory… and we have a holy and sacred task before us to take what he started and 10X it.”

At a White House ceremony in the Rose Garden on Tuesday on what would have been her husband’s 32nd birthday, Erika Kirk accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom on behalf of Charlie Kirk and delivered a powerful, deeply personal tribute to his life and legacy.

"Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring my husband in such a profound way," she began. "Charlie always admired your commitment to freedom."

She offered thanks to the first lady, the vice president, and friends and family "watching from all around the world," along with Turning Point USA staff and chapters nationwide. "You are the heartbeat of this future and of this movement," she said. "Everything Charlie built lives through you."

Erika added that the Presidential Medal of Freedom itself is rooted in America’s Founding. "The very existence of the Presidential Medal of Freedom reminds us that the national interest of the United States has always been freedom," she said.

"Our founders etched it into the preamble of our Constitution, and those words are not relics on parchment. They are a living covenant. The blessings of liberty are not man’s invention. They are God’s endowment."

She recalled how Charlie wrote about freedom often. "He believed that liberty was both a right and a responsibility. And he used to say that freedom is the ability to do what is right without fear. And that’s how he lived," Erika said.

"His name, Charles, literally means ‘free man.’ And that’s exactly who my husband was," she continued.

"From the time I met him, sitting across from him being interviewed about politics, philosophy and theology, I saw the fire in his soul. There was this divine restlessness within him that came from knowing God placed him on this earth to protect something very sacred. He never stopped fighting for people to experience freedom."

Erika recalled Charlie often saying that "without God, freedom becomes chaos" and that liberty can only survive "when anchored to truth." She remembered him telling an audience: "The opposite of liberty isn’t law. It’s captivity. And the freest people in the world are those whose hearts belong to Christ."

Looking back at his years building Turning Point USA, she said, "While he was building an organization, he was also building a movement: one that called people back to God, back to truth, and a movement that was filled with courage."

This is an excerpt of an article from Fox News' Jasmine Baehr.

Following Charlie Kirk's posthumous Medal of Freedom award ceremony, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation declaring Oct. 14 the National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk.

In a video shared on social media, Trump was seen seated in the Oval Office, with Kirk's widow, Erika, standing beside him as he signed the official document.

"How beautiful is that music," Trump could be heard asking Erika while reminiscing about listening to music with Kirk.

"It's perfect," Erika replied.

"Remember Charlie on the patio," Trump said. "He could sit there all night long listening to this music."

The State Department on Tuesday said the United States is not obligated to take in foreigners who wish harm on Americans, before posting a list of six individuals whose visas were revoked for making vile comments about the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

In an X post Tuesday, the agency noted "aliens who take advantage of America’s hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed."

Among those who had their visas revoked were an unnamed Argentine citizen who said Kirk "devoted his entire life to spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric" and deserves to burn in hell.

A Mexican citizen said Kirk "died being a racist, he died being a misogynist," adding, "There are people who deserve to die. There are people who would make the world better off dead."

A Brazilian visa holder wrote that "Charlie Kirk was the reason for a Nazi rally where they marched in homage to him" and that he "DIED TOO LATE."

The State Department ended each example shared on X with "Visa revoked."

Read more here.

Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this post.

In a video shared on social media after the Medal of Freedom ceremony Tuesday, Erika Kirk showed the back of her late husband's award, which featured an engraved Christian cross.

The video, shared on X by political commentator Benny Johnson, showed Erika flipping over the medal with a solemn smile.

The cross is engraved in the gold on the back, right above "Charles James Kirk."

"For the First Time in American History A Christian Cross has been Engraved onto the Presidential Medal of Freedom in honor of Charlie Kirk," Johnson wrote in the post. "Erika Kirk wanted to share this with you as a testament of Charlie’s powerful work advancing The Kingdom of Jesus Christ."

During Erika's acceptance speech, she said her husband would often say "without God, freedom becomes chaos," noting he believed that liberty could only survive when anchored in truth.

Prior to his assassination, Kirk said that when he died, he wanted to be remembered for courage for his faith.

President Donald Trump, with Erika Kirk, walks out to present the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Charlie Kirk to his widow Erika Kirk, in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Before presenting a posthumous Medal of Freedom award to Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, on Tuesday, President Donald Trump discussed the pair's relationship, noting Kirk was "so in love" with her intelligence, strength and beauty.

"He was deeply in love with you," Trump said. "I was with him before I met Erika, and he told me he was going to get married. He said, 'you won't believe how beautiful she is.' Now that I meet her, he's right. But then he also said ... 'she's the smartest person I know.' See, they do go together on occasion. Not often. But on occasion, they go together. He was deeply in love with you."

The president added he was honored to be joined by "a woman who has endured unspeakable hardship with unbelievable strength," acknowledging the toll Kirk's untimely death will have on his family.

"Erika, your love and courage have been an inspiration to all of us, and we will always be here for you," Trump said. "We're always going to be here for your gorgeous, beautiful children, and we'll never forget what your family has sacrificed for our country."

President Donald Trump shares personal stories before posthumously awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump described late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk as "indomitable," sharing personal stories about Kirk's tenacity and explaining he "didn't relax."

The president, who awarded Kirk the Medal of Freedom posthumously on Tuesday, described Kirk as "one of a kind" and "unstoppable" before telling the crowd about what is was like to work with the 31-year-old father of two.

"Boy, when he had an idea in his head ... he would call me, 'Sir, please. You haven't done it yet,'" Trump said.

The president said he would reply, "'Charlie, relax. Just relax,'" noting that usually did not happen.

"He didn't relax. He called me the next day again [and] it got done," Trump said. "He was indomitable, and always will be. He's really irreplaceable. Nobody's going to replace him ... You can't replace that kind of person and that kind of talent. We hold his memory in our hearts forever. Every single day of this administration, we will continue to carry out the mission for which he lived, and he really did. He lived for this country, lived for his wife and his family, but he lived for this country too. In Charlie's honor, we will continue like we have been, to fight, fight, fight and to win, win, win."

Charlie Kirk 's wife, Erika, said she asked their daughter what she would like to say to her father for his 32nd birthday, which would have coincided with the Medal of Freedom ceremony Tuesday.

Through tears, the grieving widow shared what their 3-year-old would have said to Kirk.

"She said, 'Happy birthday, Daddy,'" Erika said. "'I want to give you a stuffed animal. I want you to eat a cupcake with ice cream, and I want you to go have a birthday surprise. I love you.'"

Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk's widow, shared what their 3-year-old daughter would have told Kirk on his 32nd birthday. (Photo by Andrew Caballero Reynolds / AFP)

Erika previously shared that Kirk, who hosted The Charlie Kirk Show podcast, would bring a stuffed animal of his daughter's choosing on the show as a way to make her feel special when she was watching him on air.

Since his assassination, stuffed animals have remained next to his microphone and chair in The Charlie Kirk Show studio.

Erika Kirk accepts the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump in the Rose Garden at the White House on Oct, 14, 2025.

Charlie Kirk's wife, Erika, accepted the Medal of Freedom awarded to her husband posthumously on Tuesday, thanking those around the world for believing in Kirk and his mission.

"You are the heartbeat of this future movement," Erika said. "Everything Charlie built—you guys are the legacy holders of that. You're living his mission with him... I know that freedom will endure."

She added her husband was free from fear and compromise, noting the "freest people in the world are those whose hearts belong to Christ... The real freedom is the power to live freely and to do what is right."

Erika said while she struggled for years to find the perfect birthday gift for her husband, the award from President Donald Trump was "the best" he could receive.

"He preferred quiet birthdays," Erika said. "I said, 'Baby, I love your birthday... because it's the day that the world couldn't go another day without you' ... [Freedom is] what Charlie fought for until his last breath, and it was written on his chest in those final minutes."

President Donald Trump speaks about Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk before posthumously awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump credited Charlie Kirk with helping the administration win the presidential election, noting his enthusiasm and optimism for the future of the country.

"He said, 'You're gonna win, sir,'" Trump said. "I said, 'you know, I'm running against 17 senators and lot of tough people and governors.' ... He said, 'No, you're gonna win.'"

The president added while he thought it was going to be close, Kirk "helped make it happen" by mobilizing citizens to vote.

"Without him,... maybe you'd have Kamala standing here today," Trump said. "That would not be good... With his help, in 2024, we won more people than any Republican by far in the history of our country."

President Donald Trump speaks before presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Charlie Kirk to his widow Erika Kirk in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

At the start of the Medal of Freedom ceremony, President Donald Trump noted the weather was "supposed to be terrible," with rain expected.

However, he said "God was watching," and brought sunshine to the Rose Garden.

"I was telling Erika God was watching, and he didn't want that for Charlie," Trump said. "That's really beautiful. Couldn't be more beautiful today."

The president described Kirk as a fearless warrior for liberty and beloved leader who "galvanized the next generation."

"Five weeks ago, our nation was robbed of this extraordinary champion," Trump said. "He was a champion in every way. I got to know him so well. ... He was assassinated in the prime of his life for boldly speaking the truth for living his faith and relentlessly fighting for a better and stronger America. He loved this country." 

Hours before the Medal of Freedom presentation Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced the crowd gathered for late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was "so big and enthusiastic," the ceremony needed to be moved outside to the White House Rose Garden.

"I moved it out to the new Rose Garden, where everyone can see the Presidential Wall of Fame and the Palm Court renovation," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

President Donald Trump greets Erika Kirk, widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, during a public memorial at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on September 21. (Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images)

The friends, colleagues and pastors of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) co-founder Charlie Kirk are celebrating his life and legacy promoting faith, family and patriotism as President Donald Trump prepares to award him the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Tuesday.

"Although he was taken from us far too soon, his legacy will inspire generations to come and outlive us all," "The Charlie Kirk Show" executive producer Andrew Kolvet told Fox News Digital. "He represents the very best of America and is deserving of this and every other possible accolade. Thank you to President Trump for quite literally shifting world events to honor Charlie on what would have been his 32nd birthday."

Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10 while attending a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University's campus. The conservative movement leader was sitting under a tent while chatting with students when a shot rang out and struck Kirk in the neck, killing him.

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

Read more here.

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this post.

Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, arrived at the White House on Tuesday ahead of the Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony.

Mikey McCoy, Charlie Kirk's former chief of staff, shared a video on X showing Erika arriving at the White House.

Erika will receive the award on her husband's behalf. She was named CEO of Turning Point USA after her husband's assassination.

The ceremony was moved to the Rose Garden to accommodate more guests.