WASHINGTON D.C.— President Donald Trump gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, on Tuesday in a touching event at the White House. Erika Kirk, Kirk’s widow, accepted the highest civilian award in the country on what would have been her late husband’s 32nd birthday, almost a month after he was shot and killed.
After the event, a video that went viral on social media, uploaded by well-known right-wing content makers like Benny Johnson and Nick Sortor, purported to show a design element on the trophy that had never been seen before. The video, which supposedly showed Erika Kirk holding the medal, seemed to show a Christian cross carved into the middle, changing the usual pattern of a blue center field with white stars.
A blue ribbon with white edging holds up the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is a white star with a gold eagle on each point. In the middle of the star is a blue circle with a gold outline and 13 white stars (which stand for the initial colonies) on the blue field. If the medal’s design is officially changed to include a Christian cross, it would be a big change from the non-religious design that has been used so far. Some people on social media said that this might be the first time a religious emblem has been added to the design of a medal for any recipient.
An Emotional Tribute to a Conservative Leader Who Was Killed Charlie Kirk, 31, was tragically shot and killed on September 10 by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson when he was speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. Because Kirk was connected to the Trump administration and had a lot of power to get young conservatives involved, the posthumous award was highly anticipated.
Erika Kirk gave a poignant homage to her husband during the presentation in the Rose Garden at the White House. She thanked President Trump very much for remembering Charlie Kirk “in such a deep and meaningful way.”
Erika Kirk remarked, “Thank you for making this event a priority even though the President has a busy schedule, including a recent trip to the Middle East for peace talks.” Charlie always respected how dedicated you were to freedom.
The most poignant part of her speech was when she read a birthday letter from the couple’s daughter: “Happy birthday, daddy.” I want to give you a toy. I want you to have a cupcake with ice cream and then go do something fun for your birthday. I love you.”