WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Tuesday awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to slain activist Charlie Kirk, a prominent voice in the conservative movement before his assassination last month.
“Today we’re here to honor and remember a fearless warrior for liberty, beloved leader who galvanized the next generation like nobody I’ve ever seen before,” Trump said in a Rose Garden event.
Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot on September 10 while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University, a killing that shocked the nation and reignited debates over political violence.
Kirk’s assassination has become a rallying point for the Republican president, who has used it to energize his base and push for sweeping measures by the state against what he calls “radical left extremism.”
The Trump administration has launched a broad crackdown on left-wing organizations, deploying multiple federal agencies, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and IRS, to investigate and disrupt groups accused of funding and organizing political violence.
