Trump posthumously awards Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Friends, colleagues and pastors of Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), 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, on Tuesday.

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

“Only Charlie could do that,” Kolvet added.

Kirk was murdered on September 10 while attending a TPUSA event on the campus of Utah Valley University. The conservative movement leader was sitting in a tent while talking with students when a shot rang out and hit Kirk in the neck, killing him.

TURNING POINT USA EXPANDS MERCHANDISE COLLECTION WITH ITEMS COMMEMORATING CHARLIE KIRK

Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, enters the square and speaks with his supporters in San Diego. (Getty Images)

After Kirk’s shocking assassination, Republicans and conservatives vowed that his legacy of promoting family values, upholding the Constitution and spreading his Christian faith would continue.

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 put in the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will endure,” Trump said on September 11 in announcing he would bestow the honor on Kirk.

Tyler Bowyer, chief operating officer of TPUSA, told Fox News Digital that the awards ceremony will be felt by every young adult involved with the conservative advocacy group.

“Charlie will be honored today on behalf of the millions of conservative activists he helped mobilize to save the movement and the country. Today, at the White House, this award will be felt by all the young men and young women who have been touched by his work. They can also carry it as they continue their work,” Bowyer said.

David Engelhardt, senior pastor of Kings’ Church in New York and a TPUSA board member, told Fox News Digital it was a “profound privilege to be able to witness this moment recognizing Charlie’s courage, conviction and leadership in defending faith and freedom.”

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“Charlie is the right recipient of the Medal of Freedom because he believed that God’s moral order found in faith is not a limit to freedom but the soil in which it grows,” said Engelhardt, pastor and friend of Charlie Kirk and his wife Erika. “People who destroy this soil in the name of safe spaces and to protect themselves against ‘dangerous ideas’ will soon find their land barren. Charlie stood for the justly ordered, gravity-based freedom of God’s system.”

Kolvet added in his remarks that conservative power’s deep faith and calls to protect liberty and the Constitution will continue to invigorate Americans even after his death.

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

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

Trump to award Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk after campus shooting

Kirk is scheduled to receive the highest civilian honor Tuesday at 4 p.m. EDT, on what would have been his 32nd birthday. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals whom presidents determine have made an outstanding contribution to the country.

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

Rob McCoy – Kirk’s longtime pastor, friend and co-chair of TPUSA Faith – told Fox News Digital that Kirk “paid the ultimate sacrifice” to promote and protect freedom.

CHARLIE KIRK PAINTED AS “CONTROVERSIAL,” “PROVOCATIVE” IN MEDIA COVERAGE OF ASSASSINATION

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

President Donald Trump joined Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, on stage at the Turning Point USA founder’s memorial service in Arizona on September 21, 2025. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

After Kirk’s death, his widow, Erika, was elected as the new executive director of TPUSA to continue her husband’s legacy of rallying younger generations to conservative principles.

“I feel deep gratitude to Erika Kirk and the entire team at Turning Point USA for their tireless work to continue to shape a generation grounded in truth and purpose,” Engelhardt added.

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The awards ceremony will take place at the White House and follows Trump’s return from the Middle East on Tuesday after announcing an end to the war in Gaza, which has raged since 2023.