Trump Awards Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom: Here's What It Is

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Charlie Kirk, a right-wing agitator who was changeable dead, volition beryllium posthumously awarded the "Presidential Medal of Freedom" by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced astatine the Pentagon connected Thursday.

Trump stated this during a code astatine the 24th-anniversary commemoration of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Trump claimed that Kirk, who was changeable dormant during a question-and-answer league astatine Utah Valley University, is an inspiration to millions of people, a "giant of his generation, and a state fighter."

He expressed sympathy to Kirk's family, saying, "Our prayers are with his fantastic wife, Erika, and his beauteous children; they are fantastic people," Trump said arsenic reported by NDTV on Friday, September 12, 2025.

What is the Presidential Medal of Freedom?

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian grant successful the United States. The grant is fixed by the President to grant outstanding beingness contributions successful the fields of art, nationalist service, science, oregon different fields, according to Congress.gov, arsenic reported by The Hill.

President Harry S. Truman archetypal established the Medal of Freedom successful 1945. Then, successful 1963, President John F. Kennedy renamed it the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The medal features a achromatic prima connected a reddish pentagon, surrounded by 5 aureate eagles. In the halfway of the prima is simply a bluish ellipse with 13 aureate stars, representing the archetypal 13 U.S. states.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is disposable successful 2 levels. Most recipients are awarded the modular version, portion the much prestigious version, the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, is designated for individuals whose contributions are genuinely exceptional.

The medal is referred to arsenic some "the highest civilian grant that tin beryllium presented by the President of the United States" and "the civilian equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor."

According to an enforcement bid issued by President John F. Kennedy, the grant whitethorn beryllium fixed to "any idiosyncratic who has made an particularly meritorious publication to (1) the information oregon nationalist interests of the United States, oregon (2) satellite peace, oregon (3) taste oregon different important nationalist oregon backstage endeavors."

Notable Recipients of the Award

Although determination is nary information process, determination is simply a abstracted enforcement bid that gives the President wide leeway to grant it to anyone.

Over the decades, the medal has been awarded to a divers radical of individuals, ranging from civilian rights leaders similar Martin Luther King Jr. to artists similar Ella Fitzgerald and astronauts similar Neil Armstrong.

Since 1963, the Presidential Medal of Freedom has been awarded implicit 670 times, according to the U.S. Congress. Two individuals, Ellsworth Bunker, who served arsenic ambassador to Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and erstwhile Secretary of State Colin Powell, person been awarded the medal twice.

Bunker and Powell are among 56 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom "with distinction," the much prestigious mentation of the award.

Other notable figures see Pope Francis and Pope John XXIII, erstwhile President Joe Biden, and John F. Kennedy, the Apollo 11 crew, and immoderate recipient mentioned by President Gerald Ford.

Those who volition person the grant posthumously see Kennedy, Babe Ruth, Martin Luther King Jr., John Wayne, Jackie Robinson, and Sally Ride.

Trump's Medal of Freedom Recipients

During his archetypal term, Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 24 recipients.

Among them were respective athletes, including shot fable Babe Ruth, golfer Tiger Woods, and erstwhile New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera. Singer Elvis Presley and erstwhile Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia received posthumous awards successful 2018.

Earlier this month, Trump announced that erstwhile New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani would person the Presidential Medal of Freedom aft helium suffered superior injuries successful a car mishap successful New Jersey.

It is unclear erstwhile Giuliani and Kirk volition person the award.

Who is Charlie Kirk?

Charlie Kirk is simply a salient blimpish agitator successful America who is Islamophobic, homophobic, anti-Black, pro-Israel, a protagonist of weapon ownership, and a protagonist of Trump. He is the laminitis of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a non-profit enactment based successful Phoenix, Arizona.

Turning Point was established successful 2012 to advocator for debased taxes and constricted authorities connected assemblage campuses. Despite archetypal skepticism, Turning Point enthusiastically supported Trump aft helium won the Republican Party information successful 2016. Kirk served arsenic a idiosyncratic adjunct to Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, during the wide predetermination campaign.

He was changeable successful the cervix during a nationalist lawsuit astatine Utah Valley University. He was taken to the hospital, wherever helium underwent exigency country but succumbed to his injuries.

The FBI is presently investigating the lawsuit arsenic a suspected governmental assassination. The perpetrator is inactive astatine large.

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