President Donald Trump gave a self-congratulating speech on Tuesday as he posthumously awarded conservative activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The award ceremony took place in the White House Rose Garden, on what would’ve been Kirk’s 32nd birthday. Kirk was killed on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. His widow, Erika Kirk, accepted the award on his behalf.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring my husband in such a profound and meaningful way,” she said. “And thank you for making this event a priority amid the peace process in the Middle East.”
In a rambling speech at the ceremony, Trump praised Kirk as much as he praised himself and his allies. He took time to highlight his “very historic trip” to Israel, thanked several members of his administration who were in attendance and claimed “people are loving” the newly renovated Rose Garden.
At one point, Trump even asked the audience to listen to nearby emergency vehicle sirens as he claimed to have reduced crime in Washington, D.C.
“You hear those sirens going off. That’s good. That’s a good sound,” Trump said. “That means they either got the bad guy or they’re going to stop the bad guy.”
Who else has Donald Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom?
President Donald Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom today.
The president has also announced he’ll be giving the award to Dr. Ben Carson and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is considered the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Trump honored 24 people with the prestigious award in his first term. Recipients included Elvis Presley, former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, golfer Tiger Woods and conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh.
Former President Barack Obama awarded medals to 118 people across his two terms, while former President Joe Biden awarded medals to 57 people, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Trump administration revoked six visas over Charlie Kirk-related speech: report
The State Department has revoked visas from six foreigners who were deemed to have made derisive comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to the Associated Press.
U.S. officials determined their visas should be revoked after reviewing their social media accounts for posts about Kirk, the outlet reports.
Charlie Kirk’s legacy is inextricably tied to Trump — and president’s Medal of Freedom speech let everyone know it
President Donald Trump on Tuesday posthumously awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor to Charlie Kirk, the late Turning Point USA founder, calling him “a true American hero” whose name would be “entered forever into the eternal roster of American heroes” on what would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday.
Keep reading:
Erika Kirk shares emotional birthday message from her daughter
Erika Kirk teared up as she shared an emotional birthday message for Charlie Kirk from their three-year-old daughter.
“She said: ‘Happy birthday, daddy. 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,’” Erika Kirk said.
Erika Kirk said her late husband’s life was “proof that freedom is not a theory, it’s a testimony.”
“Happy birthday, my Charlie. Happy Freedom Day,” she said.
Charlie Kirk would’ve run for president if he ‘believed his country needed’ him, his widow says
Erika Kirk said her late husband, Charlie Kirk, may have considered running for president later in his life.
“There was no limit to what he would have sacrificed to defend freedom for all,” she said. “And if the moment had come, he probably would have run for president, but not out of ambition. He would only have done it if that was something that he believed that his country needed, from a servant’s heart standpoint.”
Erika Kirk thanks Trump for giving her late husband the ‘best birthday gift’
Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, thanked President Donald Trump for giving her late husband the “best birthday gift he could ever have.”
Today would’ve been the conservative activist’s 32nd birthday.
“He preferred quiet birthdays, but that never stopped me from telling him — I told him every single year — I said, ‘Baby, I love your birthday. ‘I said, ‘Because it’s the day that God knew the world couldn’t go another day without you,’” Erika Kirk said.
Erika Kirk accepts award on behalf of her late husband
Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom on her late husband’s behalf.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring my husband in such a profound and meaningful way,” Erika Kirk said. “And thank you for making this event a priority amid the peace process in the Middle East.”
Trump celebrates emergency sirens in DC: ‘What a beautiful sound’
President Donald Trump called the sound of emergency vehicle sirens in Washington, D.C., a “good sign” while speaking at Charlie Kirk’s Presidential Medal of Freedom award ceremony.
The remark came as Trump praised himself and claimed he had reduced crime rates in the nation’s capital.
“You hear those sirens going off. That’s good. That’s a good sound,” Trump said. “That means they either got the bad guy or they’re going to stop the bad guy. You didn’t hear that sound because nobody wanted to do anything.”
“Listen to the beauty of that sound, seriously. And that’s the real deal,” he added. “Sirens, they’re not politically correct. Sirens, you hear, they’re about three miles away. That’s great. What a beautiful sound.”
Trump claims Kirk couldn’t believe he survived Butler assassination attempt
President Donald Trump claimed Charlie Kirk “couldn’t believe” he survived the assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania, last summer.
“On the left, they’ve rammed vehicles into federal law enforcement, fired sniper rifles at ICE agents and me, you know, but I made a turn at a good time,” Trump said at Kirk’s award ceremony today.
“I made a turn at a good time. I turned to the right. Charlie couldn’t believe it, actually. He said, ‘How the hell did you make that turn?’ I said, ‘I don’t know,’” he added.
Trump hits out at Kamala Harris during Charlie Kirk’s award ceremony
President Donald Trump used part of his speech at Charlie Kirk’s Presidential Medal of Freedom award ceremony to slam former Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Maybe you’d have Kamala standing here today. That would not be good. I will tell you, Javier, you don’t know who Kamala is, I promise it would not be good,” Trump said, referring to Argentine President Javier Milei.
Milei is in attendance after meeting with Trump in the White House earlier today.
