Charlie Kirk Receives The Medal of Freedom at The White House | 10.14.2025

[00:20:48] [Music] [00:20:57] Ladies and gentlemen, the President of [00:20:59] the United States accompanied by Erica [00:21:01] Kirk. [00:21:03] [Music] [00:21:24] [Applause] [00:21:29] Thank you very much everybody. Please, [00:21:31] this is such an honor. This is the uh [00:21:35] please be seated. [00:21:38] This is the first time we've [00:21:40] been at the new and improved Rose Garden [00:21:44] and people are loving it. They're loving [00:21:46] it like they've not loved a lot of [00:21:48] things. We have the presidential walk of [00:21:51] fame which you just saw and uh it just [00:21:55] opened and we wanted to get it open for [00:21:57] this occasion. We were hoping we were [00:21:58] able to get outside and the weather [00:22:01] allowed us to. It was supposed to be [00:22:03] terrible rainy day. I was telling Eric [00:22:05] and God was watching and he didn't want [00:22:07] that for Charlie. He just didn't want [00:22:09] that. So, uh, that's really, uh, [00:22:14] beautiful. It couldn't couldn't be more [00:22:16] beautiful. [00:22:18] Today, we're here to honor and remember [00:22:21] a fearless warrior for liberty, beloved [00:22:23] leader who galvanized [00:22:26] the next generation like nobody I've [00:22:28] ever seen before, and an American [00:22:30] patriot of the deepest conviction, the [00:22:33] finest quality and the highest caliber, [00:22:36] the late great Charlie Kirk. [00:22:40] [Applause] [00:22:46] Five weeks ago, our nation was robbed of [00:22:48] this extraordinary champion. He was a [00:22:51] champion in every way. I got to know him [00:22:53] so well. He didn't like losing [00:22:59] and he was able to fight people that [00:23:01] were enemies and he didn't necessarily [00:23:03] love those enemies so much. You know, I [00:23:05] heard I heard he loved his enemies and I [00:23:08] said, "Wait a minute. Is that the same [00:23:09] Charlie that I know? I'm not sure." But [00:23:12] I didn't want to get into it. [00:23:15] But it was a horrible, heinous, [00:23:18] demonic act of murder. He was [00:23:21] assassinated in the prime of his life [00:23:23] for boldly speaking the truth, for [00:23:27] living his faith and relentlessly [00:23:28] fighting for a better and stronger [00:23:31] America. He loved this country. And [00:23:33] that's why this afternoon, it's my [00:23:35] privilege to posumously award Charles [00:23:39] James Kirk, our nation's highest [00:23:41] civilian honor, the Presidential Medal [00:23:45] of Freedom. Thank you. [00:23:47] [Applause] [00:23:53] As you know, only hours ago, I returned [00:23:56] from a very historic trip to secure [00:23:59] peace in the Middle East. People said [00:24:01] that couldn't be done. Charlie felt it [00:24:02] could be done. [00:24:05] Charlie felt it could be done. [00:24:10] Thank you. [00:24:12] Thank you. [00:24:18] Thank you very much. But I raised back [00:24:20] halfway around the globe. I was gonna [00:24:23] call Erica and say, "Erica, could you [00:24:25] maybe move it to Friday?" [00:24:29] And I didn't have the courage to call. [00:24:31] But you know why I didn't call? Because [00:24:33] I heard today was Charlie's birthday. [00:24:35] And I said, 'You know, now we that was a [00:24:37] definite. And I said, 'We going to have [00:24:39] to forget about some of those very big, [00:24:41] very rich countries that expected me to [00:24:43] be there. And I can tell you based on [00:24:46] the length of that flight, I wouldn't [00:24:47] want to go back tomorrow. [00:24:51] But I would not have missed this moment [00:24:53] for anything in the world. Nothing. And [00:24:56] it's a very important time for our [00:24:58] country and our country is doing so [00:25:00] well. It's never done better. We are a [00:25:03] country with almost now 18 trillion [00:25:07] dollars of investment coming in. [00:25:09] Nobody's ever seen anything like that. [00:25:11] Previous administration had less than a [00:25:14] trillion for four years. We have more [00:25:16] than 18. It'll be much more than 20 by [00:25:18] the time the year. More than 20 trillion [00:25:20] dollars. There's never been a country in [00:25:22] the world that had anything like that. [00:25:23] what's happened to our country is [00:25:25] incredible. In a short period of time, [00:25:28] Charlie was a big person for, "Sir, can [00:25:31] we close up those borders, please, a [00:25:33] little bit? You know, they're really [00:25:35] leaking badly." I said, "Charlie, I [00:25:36] haven't gotten there yet." But, you [00:25:38] know, it came out last four months. [00:25:41] Literally, nobody was allowed into our [00:25:43] country. And uh the only people that [00:25:46] were allowed in were people that came in [00:25:48] legally. The borders are absolutely [00:25:50] stone cold closed. and uh they reported [00:25:53] zero zero zero and zero. So that's [00:25:56] pretty good. But he was a a big [00:25:59] believer. He wanted people in the [00:26:01] country more than I did, frankly. He [00:26:03] wanted them to come in legally. And he [00:26:06] got his wish. October 14th is Charlie's [00:26:10] birthday, and he should have been [00:26:12] turning 32 years old. I tell you, I [00:26:15] never when I first met him, he was like [00:26:18] 22. And I said, "Boy, he's awfully [00:26:21] young, but I thought he was older than [00:26:22] that." You know, he looked a little bit [00:26:24] older than his age. That's okay. You [00:26:26] know, that's not good when you're old, [00:26:28] but when you're young, it's great. He [00:26:30] had the best of all things, but he was [00:26:33] special. But instead, Charlie is [00:26:36] attaining a far more important [00:26:38] milestone. We're entering his name [00:26:40] forever into the eternal roster of true [00:26:43] American heroes. He's a true American [00:26:45] hero, an amazing person way, way beyond [00:26:49] his years. And I'm honored to be joined [00:26:52] by a woman who has endured unspeakable [00:26:54] hardship with unbelievable [00:26:57] strength. And that's Charlie's [00:27:00] widow, Erica. And I just want to thank [00:27:03] you, Erica. He loved you so much. [00:27:09] I was with him. Please. [00:27:12] Thank you, darling. [00:27:15] Thank you. [00:27:19] I was with him before I met Erica and he [00:27:23] told me he was going to get married. He [00:27:25] said, "You won't believe how beautiful [00:27:30] she is." I said, "Well, then now that I [00:27:32] meet her," he was right. But then he [00:27:33] also said, "And you know what? She's [00:27:36] like the smartest person I know." See, [00:27:39] they do go together on occasion. Not [00:27:42] often. Not often, but on occasion they [00:27:46] go together. But uh he was he was in [00:27:49] love with you. He was deeply in love [00:27:51] with you. It's great. Erica, your love [00:27:54] and courage have been an inspiration to [00:27:57] all of us. And we will always be here [00:27:59] for you. And we're always going to be [00:28:01] here for your gorgeous, beautiful [00:28:03] children. And we'll never forget what [00:28:06] your family has sacrificed [00:28:08] for our country. Man loved our country. [00:28:12] when things were going badly for our [00:28:14] country, he was so, [00:28:16] as you know, angry. He would get angry [00:28:18] because he said, "It doesn't have to be [00:28:20] that way." We're also pleased to be [00:28:22] joined by an incredible group of [00:28:24] Charlie's [00:28:25] friends, very powerful friends, [00:28:27] actually, and some not so powerful, and [00:28:30] they're actually better people. Okay, I [00:28:32] know them all. They're the less powerful [00:28:33] ones. I have to tell you that all of you [00:28:36] power guys down here, the best ones in [00:28:38] the group are the ones that are less [00:28:40] successful. what that happens to. No, [00:28:42] they're all great and they're here. And [00:28:45] let's start with Erica's father. Where [00:28:47] is Erica's father? Where are you? Where [00:28:51] are you, Dad? Oh, look at him. Wow. I [00:28:54] want to get a hat like that, too. I like [00:28:56] that. How are you? Nice to see you [00:28:58] again. [00:28:59] Thanks as well to Vice President J. D. [00:29:03] Vance, who's been fantastic. J D, thank [00:29:05] you very much. [00:29:09] Great. doing a great job. Did a great [00:29:12] job on Sunday with George Slapadopoulos. [00:29:16] He [00:29:17] put him away pretty good. Second lady, [00:29:21] who's a phenomenal woman, Usha Vance. [00:29:24] Thank you very much, Usha. [00:29:26] Thank you very much. Great woman. [00:29:29] President of Argentina. He wanted to be [00:29:32] here. That that's Argentina's [00:29:34] a serious flight, right? and he's become [00:29:37] a superstar and he's doing amazing [00:29:40] things. It's uh he's a MAGA person, but [00:29:44] it's make Argentina great again. That's [00:29:46] what he does, right? And I want you to [00:29:48] stand, please. Javier Javier Mle [00:29:53] doing a great job. [00:29:57] Thank you very much. Many members of my [00:29:59] cabinet are here. Just about all of them [00:30:01] here. I won't go into every single one [00:30:04] of them, but I'll announce a few of the [00:30:06] people that have really turned this [00:30:07] country around and helped me. Incredible [00:30:09] people. Speaker of the House, Mike [00:30:12] Johnson. Where is Mike? Mike, what a job [00:30:15] you're doing, Mike. [00:30:18] What a job you're doing. And I watched [00:30:20] you this morning and you're in there [00:30:21] trying to say, "Look, just let the [00:30:23] country open. Everything will be fine. [00:30:26] We're dealing with some radical left [00:30:29] lunatics." [00:30:31] And I just wish Charlie was here to [00:30:33] fight us. I think the fight would have [00:30:35] been over already. [00:30:37] He would have had a march on the Capitol [00:30:39] by people who whose average age is about [00:30:41] 21 because there's nobody that had that [00:30:44] relationship with young people, right, [00:30:46] Mike? So, thank you, Mike, for being [00:30:48] here. House Majority Leader Steve [00:30:51] Scaliz. Steve, thank you very much. [00:30:55] Brave, a brave guy and a friend. House [00:30:58] Majority Whip, another terrific man, Tom [00:31:01] Emmer. [00:31:03] Tom, [00:31:05] thank you, Tom. Senate Majority Whip, [00:31:09] John Baraso. John, thank you very much. [00:31:14] You have all these senators, I'm going [00:31:15] to get in trouble. I'm not going to read [00:31:17] all their names. I'll be reading all [00:31:18] day. We'll be talking about Charlie in [00:31:20] about 45 minutes from now. We can't do [00:31:22] that. So, all of the senators, there's [00:31:24] so many of you. Thank you very much. I [00:31:26] do want to thank Senator Shu Thun for [00:31:28] doing a terrific job. He's really been [00:31:32] leading properly. Do you agree, Mike? [00:31:33] The team, the two of these guys have [00:31:35] been fantastic. So to Senator Thun, I [00:31:37] want to thank you very much. Incredible [00:31:39] job. Watched them this morning and he [00:31:42] was out there pounding them this morning [00:31:43] on television, too. And John Baraso, [00:31:46] thank you for the work you've done and [00:31:48] congratulations on your success. But I [00:31:51] want to thank you all and all of the [00:31:52] Congress people that are here. I see we [00:31:55] have our attorney general here. So, and [00:31:57] you are doing a fantastic job. Thank you [00:31:59] very much, Pam. Thank you. Thank you [00:32:02] very much. We have everybody. Wow, [00:32:05] that's incredible. Okay, I'm not going [00:32:07] to do anymore. [00:32:09] Going to be here too long, but I just [00:32:11] want to thank you have given him such [00:32:14] support, but he always gave you such [00:32:16] support. That's why you're here. And uh [00:32:19] very unusual. Charles James Kirk was a [00:32:22] visionary and one of the greatest [00:32:23] figures of his generation. He was truly [00:32:26] an amazing figure and growing leaps and [00:32:29] bounds. He knew that the fight to [00:32:32] preserve our heritage is waged not only [00:32:34] on the battlefield and in the halls of [00:32:37] power of which we have tremendous power [00:32:39] here including [00:32:41] the head of a place called war. We call [00:32:44] it now war. We had defense. We had our [00:32:47] secretary of defense. Now we have a [00:32:49] secretary of war and somehow I think [00:32:52] it's more emblematic and hopefully we'll [00:32:54] never have to use war but the fact that [00:32:56] we're ready is very good. Peace through [00:32:58] strength is very important but also in [00:33:00] the hearts of our nation's youth. That's [00:33:03] where Charlie rode strongest at age 18. [00:33:06] That insight inspired Charlie to found [00:33:08] the organization that ultimately touched [00:33:11] the lives of millions and millions of [00:33:13] people and so many young people that [00:33:17] nobody's ever seen anything like it [00:33:19] frankly. Turning Point USA. It's [00:33:22] amazing. And it's actually bigger now. [00:33:25] It's become bigger in the last few weeks [00:33:27] than Charlie ever thought. [00:33:31] I think his end vision in many years [00:33:34] from now would have been just a fraction [00:33:35] of what it turned out to be in a couple [00:33:37] of weeks, right? It's amazing. With hard [00:33:40] work and joyful spirit and endless [00:33:42] enthusiasm and determination [00:33:46] and he did have great enthusiasm. You [00:33:48] know, I always say you need enthusiasm [00:33:49] to be successful. He had great [00:33:51] enthusiasm. Charlie grew turning point [00:33:53] into the largest conservative youth [00:33:55] organization in the entire country. He [00:33:58] forged a personal bond with countless [00:34:00] young conservatives. He fought for free [00:34:02] speech, religious liberty, strong [00:34:05] borders, and a very strong and proud [00:34:07] America. In everything he did, he put [00:34:10] America first. He really put America [00:34:12] first. And ultimately, Charlie became [00:34:16] more than a leader of an important [00:34:18] organization. He became the leader of [00:34:20] historic movements all over the country. [00:34:23] There were movements, individual [00:34:24] movements, one movement, but it was [00:34:27] historic. Everything he did was [00:34:29] historic. And a true evangelist for the [00:34:33] cause of freedom and the word of [00:34:36] almighty God. God was very important to [00:34:39] Charlie. He would say, you know, if you [00:34:41] don't have religion, you're not going to [00:34:42] have a strong country. It's true. He was [00:34:45] so wise beyond his years. You know, I [00:34:47] talk to him sometimes. I say, this guy [00:34:48] is like a young guy. He was really a [00:34:51] wise man. [00:34:53] from the time Charlie worked on my [00:34:54] presidential campaign in 2016. And he [00:34:57] was there right from the beginning. He [00:34:58] liked me. I don't know. I have no idea [00:35:01] why. What the hell was he thinking? He [00:35:04] said, "You're going to win, sir." I [00:35:06] said, "You know, I'm running against 17 [00:35:08] senators and a lot of tough people and [00:35:12] governors. We have all these people." [00:35:14] And he said, "No, you're going to win, [00:35:16] sir." He said, "Not going to be close." [00:35:18] And he made it happen. He helped make it [00:35:20] happen. And I'll tell you that without [00:35:22] him, who knows what would be. Maybe [00:35:24] you'd have Kamala standing here today. [00:35:27] That would not be good. I will tell you, [00:35:29] Javier, you don't know who Kamla is. [00:35:32] Promise. It would not be good. You agree [00:35:34] with that, Howard? [00:35:36] He also mobilized countless citizens to [00:35:38] go vote. It's called go vote. Very [00:35:41] simple. And with his help, in 2024, we [00:35:44] won more young people than any [00:35:46] Republican by far in the history of our [00:35:49] country. And we won the popular vote. We [00:35:52] won the swing states, all seven of them. [00:35:54] Remember, they said, "Oh, well, if Trump [00:35:56] could win four, that would be nice. I [00:35:57] win seven by a lot, by a landslide." But [00:36:00] the popular vote was massive. And uh we [00:36:04] won the electoral college. Remember, [00:36:06] they said, "Well, it's going to be very [00:36:07] hard. I'd say 270." Well, we got 312 to [00:36:11] 226. [00:36:13] And then we won something called [00:36:15] districts and councils and different [00:36:18] things. But in one case we won 2,750 [00:36:22] to 525. [00:36:25] That's the one where you see the map is [00:36:26] almost entirely red except they have a [00:36:28] little blue line on one side and a [00:36:31] little blue line meaning New York and a [00:36:34] little bit Los Angeles. I have a feeling [00:36:35] that if the v vote were 100% we would [00:36:38] have won that too. You want to know the [00:36:40] truth? But he knew and he knew very well [00:36:43] and he also understood honesty and he [00:36:46] was always concerned with honesty. He [00:36:48] said the only way we can lose is if the [00:36:51] cheating gets so bad and that's where we [00:36:53] came up with a little phrase too big to [00:36:56] rig. We said go out and vote. Just go [00:36:59] out and vote. And we had that remember [00:37:01] we used to say that all the time because [00:37:03] people would say oh they're going to [00:37:05] win. We don't have to vote. Let's go to [00:37:06] a movie. We'll come home and watch [00:37:08] later. and he wasn't about that. So, we [00:37:11] had we come up to with really together [00:37:13] we came up with that phrase, we got to [00:37:15] make it too big. I never made a speech [00:37:16] where I didn't say at the end, now look, [00:37:18] the polls are showing good. Don't [00:37:20] believe the polls. He said, we're going [00:37:22] to make it Susie, right? Too big to rig. [00:37:26] So, if you think we're going to win by a [00:37:28] lot, doesn't matter. Pretend we're [00:37:29] losing. You got to go out and vote. They [00:37:31] voted. And at 9:02, the whole thing was [00:37:34] over, right? 9:02. Remember, they said, [00:37:37] "Oh, this could go a few days." Well, [00:37:39] went a few minutes 9:02. And he knew [00:37:42] that. And I I felt it, but he knew it. [00:37:44] He knew it. I think he knew it more than [00:37:46] anybody. But Charlie never missed an [00:37:49] opportunity to remind us of the [00:37:51] Judeo-Christian principles of our [00:37:53] nation's founding or to share his deep [00:37:56] Christian faith. In his final moments, [00:37:58] Charlie testified to the greatness of [00:38:00] America and to the glory of our savior [00:38:02] with whom he now rests in heaven. And he [00:38:06] is going to make heaven. And I said, [00:38:07] "I'm not sure I can make it, but he's [00:38:10] going to make it." He's there. He's [00:38:12] looking down on us right now. It's so [00:38:14] incredible. Look at this. How this [00:38:16] turned out. This was supposed to be so [00:38:18] dark and cloudy. [00:38:21] Not dark and cloudy, is it? Look at [00:38:22] that. How beautiful that is. There's no [00:38:25] artist that can can capture it as [00:38:27] beautiful as it is today. Wow. It's [00:38:30] amazing. As I said on the day that he [00:38:33] was assassinated, Charlie Kirk was a [00:38:35] martyr for truth and for freedom [00:38:39] and from Socrates to think and to St. [00:38:43] Peter from Abraham Lincoln to Martin [00:38:45] Luther King those who change history the [00:38:49] most and he really did have always [00:38:52] risked their lives for causes they were [00:38:55] put on earth to defend. He was put on [00:38:57] earth to do exactly what he was doing. [00:38:59] He didn't want to waste time. He would [00:39:00] have been a top student at any college [00:39:03] in the country. I know the college as [00:39:05] well. He was he's smarter than the guys [00:39:07] here. He was so smart. But he almost I [00:39:10] guess didn't have the time. It was he [00:39:11] knew what he wanted to do. It wasn't [00:39:13] like I want to sit in the classroom for [00:39:14] four years listening to people teach me [00:39:17] liberal principles because they were [00:39:19] never going to teach him that anyway. [00:39:21] But he didn't have the time. He really [00:39:22] didn't have the time. But every time the [00:39:25] enemies of goodness and virtue try to [00:39:27] silence the voice of righteous and noble [00:39:29] leaders like Charlie, they fail. They [00:39:31] seem to fail ultimately. They look like [00:39:33] they're doing well and then they end up [00:39:35] failing because the truth is been [00:39:38] unrelenting over the years over history. [00:39:42] And people like Charlie, it's just [00:39:44] they've got a power that others don't [00:39:47] have and very few people will ever have. [00:39:50] So today, like those martyrs before him, [00:39:53] Charlie's voice, his message, and his [00:39:55] legacy are stronger and greater than [00:39:58] ever before. They are greater than ever [00:40:00] before. Um, look, this is a horrible [00:40:03] event, but it brought out the greatness [00:40:05] of Charlie. Nothing could have ever [00:40:10] supplanted this. It's incredible the way [00:40:12] people are talking about him [00:40:15] and uh and with great love. I mean, I [00:40:18] read so many stories about some of the [00:40:20] enemies, but I watch the enemies and [00:40:22] it's hard for them to speak badly about [00:40:24] them because they just don't. And then [00:40:26] you do have people in the days since [00:40:29] Charlie's killing. We've seen exactly [00:40:31] why our country so dearly needed his [00:40:35] example. We've watched legions of [00:40:37] far-left radicals resort to desperate [00:40:40] acts of violence and terror because they [00:40:42] know that their ideas and arguments are [00:40:44] persuading no one. They know that [00:40:47] they're failing. They have the devil's [00:40:50] ideology and they're failing and they [00:40:52] know it. They feel it. And they become [00:40:55] violent. They seem to become very [00:40:58] violent on the left. [00:41:00] They've rammed vehicles into federal law [00:41:03] enforcement, fired sniper rifles at ICE [00:41:05] agents and me, you know. But I was I [00:41:10] made a turn at a good time. I made a [00:41:12] turn at a good time. I turned to the [00:41:14] right. [00:41:15] Charlie couldn't believe it actually. He [00:41:17] said, "How the hell did you make that [00:41:19] turn?" I said, "I don't know, but uh [00:41:22] fired rifles and threatened the lives of [00:41:25] our Supreme Court justices, our great [00:41:27] justices. They have to be protected. We [00:41:30] just issued a lot of money, 60 million [00:41:34] dollars to protect the Supreme Court [00:41:36] justices." [00:41:37] Very important. We can't let anything [00:41:39] happen. In places of worship, we're [00:41:43] protecting our people. We've seen that a [00:41:46] candidate for attorney general in [00:41:48] Virginia boasted that he would want to [00:41:51] see the Republican legislature, [00:41:54] a legislator in Virginia shot in the [00:41:58] head and to see his children murdered. [00:41:59] He actually said this [00:42:02] and now he continues to run for office [00:42:03] and most people continue to back him. [00:42:06] But he said he wants his man shot. He [00:42:08] said shot in the head and to see his [00:42:10] children murdered and [00:42:13] they keep running. Pretty amazing, [00:42:15] right? That's a bad one. Let's see how [00:42:18] that turns out. But that's a really bad [00:42:19] one. Nobody's heard that one before, [00:42:22] especially in the wake of Charlie's [00:42:24] assassination. Our country must have [00:42:26] absolutely no tolerance for this radical [00:42:28] left violence, extremism, and terror. [00:42:31] we're done with the angry mobs and we're [00:42:33] done we're not going to let our cities [00:42:36] be unsafe. We're going to make sure our [00:42:38] cities are safe. When you have Chicago [00:42:39] where they had 4,000 people murdered [00:42:42] over a very short period of time, 4,000 [00:42:45] people and then we have a governor stand [00:42:48] up and say, "Oh, things are going [00:42:50] swimmingly." No, they're not. We're [00:42:52] going to make Chicago safe just like [00:42:54] we're going to make look what we did in [00:42:56] DC. It's so nice that we started here [00:42:58] because this was one of the most violent [00:43:00] places in the United States. It would be [00:43:02] dangerous to be right out here, but you [00:43:05] couldn't go to a restaurant. The [00:43:07] restaurants were all dying. The whole [00:43:08] place was dying. You'd have these [00:43:10] gorgeous, look at the Washington [00:43:11] Monument over there. You'd have these [00:43:13] gorgeous buildings and monuments and [00:43:15] structures. And people were afraid to [00:43:17] leave their apartment. They were afraid [00:43:19] to go to work. [00:43:21] They'd get into an Uber and they'd feel [00:43:23] safe and then the Uber would be [00:43:25] attacked. They thought they made it to [00:43:27] safety and then the Uber was attacked on [00:43:30] the trip in. But we've done a great job [00:43:32] and now it's considered a totally safe [00:43:35] city. We haven't had problems. Took us [00:43:38] 12 days to make it great. We took out [00:43:40] Pam 1,700 [00:43:42] hard criminals, career criminals in many [00:43:45] cases, but these are hardened criminals. [00:43:47] Many of them came in through the Biden [00:43:48] open borders. We brought them back to [00:43:50] the countries. And a couple were so [00:43:52] violent that we put them in jail. We [00:43:54] don't want to take a chance that they [00:43:55] could get back in cuz no matter how good [00:43:57] we do, somebody can sneak in. We did. [00:43:59] They were so violent and so so bad. One [00:44:02] arrested 28 times. Every time he left [00:44:04] prison, he'd get into a violent [00:44:06] incident. 28 times and we put him away [00:44:10] for a long time. But we're done with the [00:44:13] angry mobs. We're done with it. This is [00:44:15] such an unbelievable [00:44:18] place right now. You take a look where [00:44:20] you can walk down the middle of the [00:44:22] street with your wife or your husband. [00:44:23] Your children can walk. They can walk [00:44:25] alone. It doesn't matter. They can walk [00:44:27] anywhere in Washington and they're safe [00:44:29] now. If this were a year and a half ago, [00:44:32] a year ago, they'd have a serious chance [00:44:35] of being badly hurt, even killed. [00:44:40] Even killed. They'd come in from [00:44:41] Indiana. They'd come in from Iowa. [00:44:43] They'd come from Florida to see the [00:44:46] nation's capital. and somebody would [00:44:48] have to call the parents. I'm sorry, but [00:44:50] your son or your daughter's been killed. [00:44:52] Not anymore. You hear those sirens going [00:44:54] off? That's good. That's a good sound. [00:44:57] That means they either got the bad guy [00:44:59] or they're going to stop the bad guy. [00:45:01] You didn't hear that sound because [00:45:02] nobody wanted to do anything. [00:45:06] Nobody listen to the beauty of that [00:45:07] sound. [00:45:09] Seriously. And that's the real deal [00:45:11] sirens. They're not politically correct [00:45:13] sirens. You hear them, they're about [00:45:15] three miles away. That's great. What a [00:45:17] beautiful sound. They're stopping crime. [00:45:20] That's what they're doing. [00:45:22] So, we're done with the voices of fools. [00:45:25] They're fools and death threats and [00:45:28] we're going to make our cities safe. And [00:45:30] I thought it was Charlie's one of his [00:45:32] biggest dreams was that he couldn't [00:45:34] believe it. Uh Chicago is going to be a [00:45:36] great city again. We've all, you know, [00:45:39] we sent people in there six months ago [00:45:41] and this governor said, "Well, crime is [00:45:43] down." Yeah, that's because we had the [00:45:44] FBI in there for six months just [00:45:47] preparing it for the bigger surge and [00:45:50] they've done a great job. The cash and [00:45:53] the FBI, they've done a great job and [00:45:55] they love doing it. You know, they love [00:45:57] being able to do it. They were [00:45:58] restricted from doing it. They couldn't [00:46:00] do anything and uh now they're totally [00:46:04] unrestricted. They all they have to do [00:46:06] is stop crime and they're doing it. By [00:46:08] the way, Memphis, as you know, you heard [00:46:10] they went in about a week ago. one of [00:46:12] the most dangerous places in the [00:46:14] country. Really in the world, it's not [00:46:15] just a country. They have very few [00:46:17] cities that would compare to some of [00:46:19] these cities. You go to Afghanistan, you [00:46:21] say, "Oh, that's unsafe." Well, the [00:46:23] crime numbers are [00:46:25] much better than the crime numbers in [00:46:28] places that we have. So, Memphis, I [00:46:30] understand, is doing unbelievably in one [00:46:33] week. It's like a different place. And [00:46:35] this took 12 days. And then after that, [00:46:37] we just perfected it. But after 12 days, [00:46:40] we had good safety here. after one [00:46:42] month. It's like uh it's really amazing. [00:46:45] And by the way, restaurants are booming. [00:46:47] Restaurants are opening up. The big [00:46:49] problem you have, you can't get into a [00:46:51] restaurant in DC anymore. So, they're [00:46:53] opening up. It's a beautiful thing to [00:46:55] see. It's called safety. It's called law [00:46:58] enforcement and letting them do their [00:47:00] job. And that's why I said last month [00:47:03] that I have directed the attorney [00:47:05] general and the department of homeland [00:47:07] security to confront the very real [00:47:09] threat of left-wing terrorism in our [00:47:11] country. It's a real threat. Not when [00:47:13] you confront it, it's not because [00:47:16] uh they're not brave people. In fact, [00:47:19] they're cowards. When you confront them, [00:47:22] they immediately fold. You have to see [00:47:24] them fold. You have to see them crying. [00:47:27] They fold. [00:47:29] But it includes dismantling the networks [00:47:31] that fund them and finance them. And [00:47:33] we're finding out who those networks [00:47:34] are. We already know quite a few of [00:47:37] them. [00:47:39] When you see these violent incidents and [00:47:41] then you see people holding this [00:47:43] gorgeous sign with beautiful wood, [00:47:46] beautiful cardboard, wood, everything, [00:47:49] everything's per perfect paint job. And [00:47:52] they're all the same. There are [00:47:53] thousands of them. You know that they [00:47:56] weren't made in the basement out of [00:47:58] love. They were made by anarchists [00:48:02] and in some cases wealthy. I'll probably [00:48:04] find some of my nice friends that are up [00:48:08] there being so nice to me, especially [00:48:10] lately. They're being very nice, but uh [00:48:14] it surprises you who they may be. And [00:48:16] you almost wonder why why would they do [00:48:19] it? But they're hurting our country and [00:48:21] we're really taking it back one by one. [00:48:23] If we didn't go into Los Angeles early [00:48:26] on in the administration, the [00:48:28] commissioner, the chief of police, Los [00:48:31] Angeles said if they didn't go in, we [00:48:33] would have lost our city. Now, they [00:48:34] already lost 25,000 houses to fire [00:48:37] because they wouldn't let the water come [00:48:38] in from the Pacific Northwest, which [00:48:40] they should have done. I tell her, you [00:48:42] better do it. They didn't do it. And we [00:48:45] had uh 25,000 homes where they had no [00:48:48] water in their sprinklers. They had no [00:48:49] water in their fire hydrants. It would [00:48:52] have been a different kind of a thing if [00:48:53] they did what they were supposed to do. [00:48:55] We had to break in. We broke in and had [00:48:57] the water come down. They actually they [00:48:59] said for the environment, great. They [00:49:01] lost 25,000 houses. It's uh incredible. [00:49:05] But the commissioner said without the [00:49:06] federal government and President Trump's [00:49:09] intervention, we would have lost the [00:49:10] entire city. And we have the Olympics [00:49:12] going there soon. I got the Olympics. We [00:49:15] have the Olympics. We have the World [00:49:16] Cup. And we have most importantly we [00:49:18] have the 250th anniversary of our [00:49:21] country. That's going to be most [00:49:23] important. And all of these things are [00:49:25] happening and we're going to have safe [00:49:27] cities. We're going to have very, very [00:49:28] safe cities. So, one month after [00:49:30] Charlie's death, we still feel the [00:49:32] terrible shock and the pain of his loss [00:49:35] like just about nobody I can think of. [00:49:38] Charlie Kirk was one of a kind. He was [00:49:41] unstoppable. And he really was. Boy, [00:49:44] when he had an idea in his head, oh, he [00:49:46] was he would call me, "Sir, please, you [00:49:49] haven't done it yet." Said, "Charlie, [00:49:51] relax. Just relax." He didn't relax. He [00:49:54] called me the next day again. It got it [00:49:57] done. But he was like indomitable and [00:50:00] always will be. He's really [00:50:02] irreplaceable. Nobody going to replace [00:50:04] them, but they're going to do great, but [00:50:07] you can't replace that kind of person. [00:50:09] and that kind of talent. Frankly, the [00:50:11] word talent is an important word, but [00:50:13] that kind of talent. So, we hold his [00:50:15] memory in our hearts forever. Every [00:50:17] single day of this administration, we [00:50:20] will continue to carry out the mission [00:50:22] for which he lived. And he really did. [00:50:24] He lived for this country. He lived for [00:50:25] his wife and his family, but he lived [00:50:27] for this country, too. In Charlie's [00:50:30] honor, uh we will continue like we have [00:50:33] been to fight, fight, fight, and to win [00:50:36] win win. We're going to win so much. [00:50:43] So, [00:50:45] the Presidential Medal of Freedom is a [00:50:47] big deal. You have the Congressional [00:50:49] Medal of Honor, Military, and the [00:50:51] Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is [00:50:54] civilian. And the Presidential Medal of [00:50:57] Freedom is a really big deal. Very few [00:50:59] people get it. Very few people, frankly, [00:51:02] qualify. It's a decision of the [00:51:04] president, but it it's a qualification [00:51:06] that's a very hard one to to get. And I [00:51:10] would like to ask, if I might, the [00:51:12] military aid to read Charles James [00:51:16] Kirk's citation for the Presidential [00:51:19] Medal of Freedom. Thank you very much. [00:51:22] Thank you. [00:51:24] [Applause] [00:51:45] The Presidential Medal of Freedom is [00:51:47] awarded to Charles James Kirk. Accepting [00:51:51] on behalf of Charlie is his wife, Mrs. [00:51:54] Erica Kirk. Charlie Kirk was one of the [00:51:57] most influential American pop political [00:52:00] figures of his generation. At just 18 [00:52:03] years old, he founded Turning Point USA [00:52:06] and grew it into the largest [00:52:07] conservative youth organization in the [00:52:09] nation. For over a decade, he tirelessly [00:52:12] traveled the country, leading a movement [00:52:14] to restore respect for our founding [00:52:17] principles, reawaken our national [00:52:20] identity, and inspire a renewed spirit [00:52:23] of religious devotion. [00:52:25] He was one of the great debaters and [00:52:27] communicators of his time. Despite [00:52:30] receiving repeated threats, he remained [00:52:33] undeterred and modeled courage, logic, [00:52:37] humor, and grace to the next generation. [00:52:40] On September 10th, 2025, [00:52:43] at age 31, Charlie Kirk was assassinated [00:52:47] while addressing a group of students. [00:52:49] The United States honors him as a martyr [00:52:51] for truth and freedom. [00:53:06] [Applause] [00:54:04] Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring [00:54:06] my husband in such a profound and [00:54:10] meaningful way. and thank you for making [00:54:12] this event a priority um with amid the [00:54:16] peace process in the Middle East. Thank [00:54:18] you. Very grateful Charlie. Charlie [00:54:21] Charl excuse me [00:54:24] Charlie always admired your commitment [00:54:26] to freedom and that's something that [00:54:29] both of you shared. So, thank you. [00:54:33] Your support of our family and the work [00:54:36] that [00:54:37] Charlie devoted his life to will be [00:54:41] something I cherish forever. So, thank [00:54:43] you [00:54:45] to our gracious first lady in her office [00:54:47] for making this event possible. Thank [00:54:50] you as well. It's beautiful. to vice [00:54:55] president and the lovely Usha fans. Your [00:54:58] friendship has been an unbelievable [00:55:01] encouragement. Thank you. [00:55:05] And to all our friends and family that [00:55:07] are here [00:55:09] and watching from all around the world, [00:55:12] thank you for loving us. Thank you for [00:55:14] praying for us and for believing in what [00:55:18] Charlie believed in. [00:55:20] And to our Turning Point USA staff and [00:55:23] the Charlie Kirk Show staff, we love you [00:55:27] more than you could ever know. [00:55:30] And to the Turning Point USA chapters [00:55:32] that are watching [00:55:34] all across America right now, [00:55:38] you are the heartbeat [00:55:41] of this future and of this movement. [00:55:46] Everything that Charlie built, [00:55:48] you guys are the legacy holders of that. [00:55:51] You are living proof that his mission [00:55:53] did not die with him. [00:55:56] It lives through you. And Charlie always [00:55:59] said, "The next generation will decide [00:56:00] whether freedom endures. [00:56:03] And because of you, I know that freedom [00:56:06] will endure." It will. [00:56:09] And today we're gathered not only to [00:56:12] celebrate Charlie's birthday, but to [00:56:15] honor a truth that he gave his entire [00:56:18] life to defend, and that's freedom. [00:56:21] The very existence of the Presidential [00:56:23] Medal of Freedom reminds us that the [00:56:26] national interest of the United States [00:56:29] has always been freedom. [00:56:32] Our founders etched it into the preamble [00:56:34] of our Constitution. And those words are [00:56:36] not relics on parchment. [00:56:41] They are a living covenant. [00:56:43] The blessings of liberty are not man's [00:56:46] invention. They are God's endowment. [00:56:50] Charlie lived for those blessings, not [00:56:52] as abstract words, but as sacred [00:56:55] promises. [00:56:57] He used to love to journal about this [00:56:59] topic all the time and and with such a [00:57:03] heart postured of gratitude and he [00:57:07] believed that liberty was both a right [00:57:08] and a responsibility [00:57:11] and he used to say freedom is the [00:57:13] ability to do what is right without fear [00:57:18] and that's how he lived. He was free [00:57:21] from fear. [00:57:24] He was free from compromise, [00:57:27] free from anything that could enslave [00:57:29] his soul. [00:57:32] His name, Charles, literally means free [00:57:35] man. [00:57:37] And that's exactly who my husband was. [00:57:39] He was a free man. [00:57:42] And from the time I met him, sitting [00:57:45] across from him, being interviewed [00:57:49] on politics and philosophy and theology, [00:57:52] anything that Charlie loved, any topic [00:57:54] he loved, [00:57:57] and [00:57:59] I just saw the fire in his soul, and [00:58:02] there was this [00:58:04] divine restlessness within him that came [00:58:07] from knowing God placed him on this [00:58:09] earth to protect something very, very [00:58:11] sacred [00:58:14] for all of us. And he never stopped [00:58:16] fighting for people to experience [00:58:17] freedom. He didn't. [00:58:21] Charlie often said that without God, [00:58:23] freedom becomes chaos. [00:58:26] And he believed liberty could only [00:58:28] survive when anchored to truth. [00:58:32] And I remember in one of his speeches [00:58:36] he told the audience that the opposite [00:58:38] of liberty [00:58:40] isn't law. [00:58:43] He said it's captivity [00:58:45] and that the freest people in the world [00:58:47] are those whose hearts belong to Christ. [00:58:51] But what's so powerful is that Charlie [00:58:53] had the ability [00:58:55] to communicate so brilliantly across all [00:58:59] generations. [00:59:01] And he reminded us that in a world that [00:59:03] tells us freedom is, you know, doing [00:59:06] whatever you want to do, the real [00:59:08] freedom [00:59:10] is the power to live freely and to do [00:59:12] what is right. [00:59:15] And in one of his journal entries, he [00:59:16] wrote that he wanted everyone to know [00:59:18] that you can't have liberty without [00:59:20] moral responsibility. [00:59:24] Freedom divorced from faith eventually [00:59:26] just destroys itself. [00:59:30] And what's so fascinating about all of [00:59:32] this is looking back these past 12 years [00:59:36] of Turning Point USA and his mission, [00:59:39] there's almost this veil of of [00:59:42] sacredness. [00:59:45] Because what I realized is that while he [00:59:47] was building an organization, he was [00:59:50] also building a movement. [00:59:53] one that called people back to God, [00:59:56] back to truth, and a movement that was [01:00:00] filled with courage. [01:00:03] And ironically, for a man who impacted [01:00:05] millions, [01:00:07] Charlie never desired to be the center [01:00:09] of attention. He just wasn't. My husband [01:00:12] was not a man of extravagance. [01:00:15] He loved simple but deeply meaningful [01:00:19] things. truly he he loved his late night [01:00:23] walks. [01:00:24] He loved buying more books than he could [01:00:27] ever read because he felt there was no [01:00:29] such thing as a a book budget. [01:00:32] And he loved being able to read to our [01:00:36] kids the same bedtime story on repeat [01:00:39] cuz he knew it was their favorite. And [01:00:41] but to him that was special. [01:00:44] and he loved to sit in the sun on a [01:00:46] Saturday morning with his cup of decaf [01:00:48] coffee and his phone was off because he [01:00:51] was honoring the Sabbath. And for him, [01:00:53] it was that moment to catch his breath [01:00:55] and just [01:00:57] be in peace [01:00:59] because he was unreachable at the [01:01:01] moment. And he preferred quiet [01:01:03] birthdays. [01:01:06] But that never stopped me from telling [01:01:07] him. I told him every single year, I [01:01:09] said, "Baby, [01:01:10] I love your birthday." I said, ' Because [01:01:13] it's a day that God knew the world [01:01:15] couldn't go another day without you. [01:01:23] And so the rhythm of our usual birthday [01:01:25] celebration for him was [01:01:28] mint ice, mint chocolate chip ice cream. [01:01:31] He only had it twice a year on his [01:01:33] birthday in 4th of July. [01:01:37] And um and then after that it was back [01:01:42] to work as usual. But last year his one [01:01:45] birthday wish was to see the Oregon [01:01:46] Ducks play the Ohio State. And they won. [01:01:50] Oregon won that night. And it was by far [01:01:52] one of the most memorable nights of his [01:01:54] birthday experience of his life until [01:01:58] today. [01:01:59] And so honestly, President Trump, I have [01:02:03] spent seven and a half years trying to [01:02:06] find the perfect birthday gift for [01:02:08] Charlie. [01:02:09] And it's so difficult. And those of you [01:02:11] that have spouses or loved ones, you [01:02:13] know how difficult it is sometimes to [01:02:14] buy a gift for someone that you love [01:02:17] because he wasn't a materialistic man. [01:02:18] So that also did not help. But now I can [01:02:22] say with confidence, Mr. President, that [01:02:23] you have given him the best birthday [01:02:26] gift he could ever have. [01:02:38] It's such an honor and the recognition [01:02:41] of [01:02:42] a life lived for defending freedom. And [01:02:45] that's what Charlie fought for until his [01:02:47] last breath. [01:02:50] And it was written across his chest in [01:02:52] those final moments on one of his simple [01:02:54] t-shirts that always carried a message. [01:02:58] And this one [01:03:00] bearing a single word, freedom. [01:03:04] That was the banner over his life. And [01:03:06] that shirt was a declaration. [01:03:09] The same declaration he made in every [01:03:11] speech, every campus visit, every time [01:03:14] he shared the gospel at a church, [01:03:17] every sleepless night that he would [01:03:19] spend praying for the youth of this [01:03:20] nation [01:03:22] and planning for the future of our [01:03:24] country and just oppressing upon them [01:03:26] that when we defend liberty, we defend [01:03:28] the soul of our nation. [01:03:32] My husband never told anyone what to [01:03:34] say. He never did. He never told anyone [01:03:36] what to say. He would just encourage [01:03:39] them to think. He would encourage them [01:03:42] to think outside of the traditional [01:03:44] political labels. [01:03:46] He would want them to think in a way [01:03:48] that was anchored in wisdom and truth. [01:03:53] But he would never tell anyone what to [01:03:55] say. [01:03:57] Charlie wasn't content to simply admire [01:04:00] freedom. He wanted to multiply it. He [01:04:03] wanted to multiply freedom. [01:04:05] He wanted young people to taste it and [01:04:07] to understand it and defend it. He [01:04:11] wanted them to see that liberty isn't [01:04:13] self-indulgence. It's self-governance [01:04:16] under God. [01:04:18] He wanted them to see that. And every [01:04:21] day I'd see him getting ready for work. [01:04:24] He'd put on his cross necklace. He'd put [01:04:26] his ring on his finger. [01:04:28] And the the boldness in his demeanor was [01:04:32] always fearlessness. He wasn't afraid. [01:04:34] He was never afraid [01:04:37] and his daily actions whether in office [01:04:39] or on campus or at a church. [01:04:42] It was always without fear. That was his [01:04:44] creed. That is that is how he lived out [01:04:47] every single day. He didn't fear being [01:04:49] slandered. He did not he didn't fear [01:04:51] losing friends. I can tell you that he [01:04:53] didn't he didn't care. He stood for [01:04:57] truth and stood for freedom. And he did [01:04:59] not everything else was just a noise to [01:05:01] him. [01:05:03] And it's because his confidence in [01:05:05] Christ was absolute. [01:05:07] That's why [01:05:10] there was no limit. No limit to what he [01:05:13] would have sacrificed to defend freedom [01:05:15] for all. And if the moment had come, he [01:05:18] probably would have run for president, [01:05:20] but not out of ambition. He would only [01:05:22] have done it if that was something that [01:05:25] he believed that his country needed from [01:05:27] a servant's heart standpoint. [01:05:30] And Charlie lived only 31 short years. [01:05:33] Now he's 32, but on this side of heaven, [01:05:36] but [01:05:40] he lived. He lived every single second. [01:05:43] He lived. [01:05:45] He filled every single day with purpose. [01:05:46] And he fought for truth when it was [01:05:48] unpopular. [01:05:49] And he stood for God when it was costly. [01:05:52] But that's what we're called to do. [01:05:55] Surprisingly enough, he did pray for his [01:05:57] enemies, which is very hard, but he did. [01:06:01] He did. I He did. [01:06:09] No one else. I mean, I saw him do it. [01:06:10] No, he never did it in front of anyone [01:06:12] else, but I can attest to that. [01:06:15] But he also loved people when it was [01:06:17] inconvenient. [01:06:18] And he ran his race with endurance, and [01:06:20] he kept the faith. And now he wears the [01:06:23] crown of a righteous martyr. [01:06:26] And for me and for our children, [01:06:30] the the truth really studies our grief [01:06:32] because [01:06:35] heaven gained what earth could no longer [01:06:37] contain. [01:06:39] A free man made fully free. [01:06:44] To all watching, this is this is not a [01:06:47] ceremony. [01:06:49] This is a commissioning. [01:06:52] And my message is simple. [01:06:55] I want you to be the embodiment [01:06:57] of this medal. [01:07:00] I do. I want you to free yourself from [01:07:02] fear. [01:07:04] I want you to stand courageously in the [01:07:06] truth. [01:07:08] Listen for the still small voice of God. [01:07:13] And remember that while freedom is [01:07:16] inherited in this country, each of us [01:07:18] must be intentional stewards every [01:07:21] single day. [01:07:24] God began a mighty work through my [01:07:26] husband and I intend to see it through. [01:07:29] And the torch is in our hands now. It's [01:07:30] in mine. It's in yours. It's in all of [01:07:32] yours. It's in all the students with [01:07:33] Turning Point USA. [01:07:37] And before I close, I'll share with you [01:07:40] that I asked our daughter [01:07:43] what she would like to say to daddy for [01:07:45] his birthday. [01:07:48] Excuse me. [01:07:56] She said, [01:08:00] "Happy birthday, Daddy. [01:08:03] I want to give you a stuffed animal. [01:08:14] I want you to eat a cupcake with ice [01:08:16] cream. [01:08:18] and I want you to go have a birthday [01:08:20] surprise. [01:08:22] I love you is what she said. [01:08:25] And while our son [01:08:27] is precious, he can't yet speak. [01:08:31] In classic Kirk family fashion, his [01:08:33] actions spoke louder than his words. And [01:08:35] his gift to you, Charlie, and myself, [01:08:37] for that matter, was deciding to become [01:08:40] the man of the house and be fully potty [01:08:41] trained at 16 months. [01:08:45] But Charlie, baby, I know that you're [01:08:47] celebrating in heaven today, but gosh, I [01:08:49] miss you. We miss you and we love you [01:08:53] and we promise we'll [01:08:55] we'll make you proud. And [01:08:58] Charlie's life was proof that freedom is [01:09:01] not a theory. It's a testimony. [01:09:04] He showed us that liberty begins not in [01:09:06] the halls of power, but in the man of a [01:09:08] heart surrendered to God. [01:09:11] And so today, as we honor Charlie with [01:09:14] this [01:09:15] incredible Presidential Medal of Freedom [01:09:19] on his birthday, [01:09:22] I stand here with tears and just humbled [01:09:24] heart and spirit because [01:09:27] his story reminds us all that [01:09:31] to live free is the greatest gift, [01:09:36] but to die free is the greatest victory. [01:09:41] Happy birthday, my Charlie. [01:09:44] Happy freedom day. [01:09:52] [Applause] [01:09:55] [Music] [01:10:05] Heat. Heat. [01:10:17] [Music]