Donald Trump decried Left-wing violence as he awarded the presidential medal of freedom to Charlie Kirk.
In a sun-drenched ceremony in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday evening, Erika Kirk accepted the prize on behalf of her husband, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA who was shot dead while addressing students in Utah last month.
The president paid tribute to a “fearless warrior for liberty”.
But he also used his speech to attack his political enemies, rail against “far-Left radicals” and trumpet his administration’s crackdown on crime in American cities.
“We’ve watched legions of far-Left radicals resort to desperate acts of violence and terror because they know that their ideas and arguments are persuading no one,” he said. “They have the devil’s ideology and they’re failing, and they know it, they feel it, and they become violent.”
Kirk was the first recipient of the medal in Mr Trump’s second term, signalling his importance to the wider Maga movement and his close ties to the administration.
Attendees were drawn from the great and the good of Trump world: broadcasters such as Tucker Carlson and Fox News anchor Sean Hannity; cabinet secretaries including Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, and Pam Bondi, the attorney general; and powerful donors such as Doug Deason, a Texas billionaire and early backer of Kirk.
Fox News anchors Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity arrive at the ceremony – Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS
Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, and Pam Bondi, the attorney general, also attend the event – Mark Schiefelbein/AP
But there was also a younger generation of junior White House staffers who knew Kirk as the campus campaigner that had first drawn them into politics.
The president drew a line between the assassination of Kirk, whose alleged killer inscribed bullets with anti-fascist messages, and violent clashes with protesters that have cropped up in US cities.
“On the Left, they’ve rammed vehicles into federal law enforcement, fired sniper rifles at ICE agents and me,” Mr Trump said, drawing comparison to the first assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“I made a turn at a good time. I turned to the right. Charlie couldn’t believe it,” he said.
Since Kirk’s death, Mr Trump has extended his mobilisation of the National Guard beyond Washington, DC to Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon, in order to crack down on protests against his deportation drive.
Addressing the need for his crackdown, Mr Trump said that crime in some US cities was worse than in Afghanistan.
“You go to Afghanistan, you say, oh, that’s unsafe. Well, the crime numbers are much better than the crime numbers in places that we have,” he said.
“In the wake of Charlie’s assassination, our country must have absolutely no tolerance for this radical Left violence, extremism and terror. We’re done with the angry mobs, and we’re none. We’re not going to let our cities be unsafe. We’re going to make sure our cities are safe.”
Donald Trump said that crime in some US cities was worse than in Afghanistan – Alex Brandon/AP
Trumpeting the success of his decision to deploy the National guard in Washington, DC, Mr Trump said that prior to his actions, people in the nation’s capital were “afraid to leave their apartment”.
It was the first official event to take place in the renovated Rose Garden with its newly paved terrace. Mr Trump, ever the property developer, could not help but point out the surroundings.
“This is the first time we’ve been at the new and improved Rose Garden, and people are loving it,” he said. “They’re loving it like they’ve not loved a lot of things.”
Mr Trump used the occasion to run through some of his favourite themes, talking up how he had sealed the border and dishing out more insults to Kamala Harris, his 2024 election opponent.
At times it gave the formal ceremony the air of a freewheeling political rally.
After the political invective, Mr Trump delivered a string of more personal tributes to his former ally, whom he called “irreplaceable”.
Describing how he had “raced back halfway around the globe” from signing a Middle East peace deal in Egypt in order to attend the ceremony, Mr Trump noted that Kirk had placed faith in him to broker a ceasefire.
“As you know, only hours ago, I returned from a very historic trip to secure peace in the Middle East,” Mr Trump said. “People said that couldn’t be done. Charlie felt it could be done.”
He also paid tribute to Mrs Kirk, promising he would “never forget what your family sacrificed for our country”.
Dabbing tears away from her eyes with a single tissue, Mrs Kirk followed the president with a moving address in which she paid tribute to her husband as a defender of freedom and speculated that he may have one day run for president.
Erika Kirk wipes away her tears as she addresses the congregation – ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP
“He probably would have run for president, but not out of ambition,” she said. “He would only have done it if that was something that he believed that his country needed from a servant heart’s standpoint.”
With her closing remarks, Mrs Kirk pledged to carry on her husband’s work.
“God began a mighty work through my husband and I intend to see it through. And the torch is in our hands now. It’s in mine. It’s in yours. It’s in all of yours. It’s in all the students with Turning Point USA.”
The presidential medal is the highest civilian honour a president can bestow and has previously been awarded to Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King Jr, among others.
In September, both the House of Representatives and Senate approved resolutions declaring Oct 14 a “national day of remembrance for Charlie Kirk”.
11:39pm
That’s all for today
Thank you for tuning in to our live blog as Donald Trump awarded Charlie Kirk the presidential medal of freedom.
This blog is now closed.
10:35pm
Kirk’s daughter: ‘I want you to eat a cupcake with ice cream for your birthday’
In a heartbreaking moment, Erika Kirk shared a message from her and Charlie Kirk’s three-year-old daughter on the anniversary of Kirk’s 32nd birthday.
“Happy birthday, daddy, I want to give you a stuffed animal,” Mrs Kirk said, reading out the message from her daughter as she wept. “I want you to eat a cupcake with ice cream, and I want you to go have a birthday surprise.
“I love you.”
Mrs Kirk noted that although their one-year-old son is not yet able to speak, he left his late father a birthday tribute of his own by becoming “fully potty-trained at 16 months”.
“In classic Kirk family fashion, his actions spoke louder than his words,” she said.
In a final personal tribute, Mrs Kirk addressed her husband directly. “Charlie baby, I know that you’re celebrating in heaven today, but gosh, I miss you,” she said.
10:29pm
Erika Kirk: I will see through my husband’s work
Erika Kirk pledged to see through her husband’s work in an emotional acceptance speech.
“Remember that while freedom is inherited in this country, each of us must be intentional stewards. Every single day,” she said.
“God began a mighty work through my husband and I intend to see it through. And the torch is in our hands now. It’s in mine. It’s in yours. It’s in all of yours. It’s in all the students with turning point USA.”
Since Kirk’s assassination, his wife has taken over as chair of Turning Point USA.
Erika Kirk accepts presidential medal of freedom – ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP
10:27pm
Erika Kirk: My husband would have run for president
Erika Kirk said her husband “probably would have run for president” had he lived.
Accepting the presidential medal of freedom on behalf of Charlie Kirk, his widow said he would have only run for office if it’s something he believed his country needed.
“He probably would have run for president, but not out of ambition,” she said. “He would only have done it if that was something that he believed that his country needed from a servant heart’s standpoint.”
10:24pm
Erika Kirk: My husband loved simple things
Erika Kirk reflected on her husband’s humble existence, recalling his love of books, decaf coffee and mint chocolate ice cream.
In a moving recollection of how her husband would celebrate his birthday, she described how he would sit in the garden with a cup of decaf coffee, reading a book (”He loved buying more books than he could ever read,” she said).
“The rhythm of our usual birthday celebration for him was mint ice cream…He only had it twice a year on his birthday,” she said.
Erika Kirk sheds a tear as she accepts award on behalf of her husband – Alex Brandon/AP
10:20pm
Erika Kirk weeps as she accepts presidential medal
Erika Kirk wept as she accepted the presidential medal of freedom on behalf of her husband.
Dabbing her eyelid with a single tissue, Mrs Kirk, who was dressed in all black, thanked the president as she received the award.
“Thank you Mr President, for honouring my husband in such a profound and meaningful way, and thank you for making this event a priority amid the peace process in the Middle East,” she said.
“Charlie always admired your commitment to freedom, and that’s something that both of you shared.”
Erika Kirk dabs her eyes as she accepts award – Alex Brandon/AP
10:19pm
Erika Kirk: My husband defended freedom
Charlie Kirk’s commitment to freedom will endure thanks to Donald Trump, his widow has said.
Erika Kirk said: “Because of you, I know that freedom will endure. It will, and today we’re gathered not only to celebrate Charlie’s birthday, but to honour a truth that he gave his entire life to defend, and that’s freedom.
“The very existence of the Presidential Medal of Freedom reminds us that the national interest of the United States has always been freedom.
“Our founders etched it into the preamble of our Constitution. And those words are not relics on parchment. They are a living covenant.”
10:16pm
Erika Kirk: Charlie and Trump shared commitment to freedom
Erika Kirk opened her tearful address by praising her deceased husband and Dona’d Trump’s shared “commitment to freedom”.
Wiping away tears as she accepted the award in her husband’s honour, she said: “Thank you, Mr. President, for honouring my husband in such a profound and meaningful way, and thank you for making this event a priority with amid the peace process in the Middle East.
“Charlie always admired your commitment to freedom, and that’s something that both of you shared.”
10:13pm
Trump: Kirk is irreplaceable
Donald Trump hailed Charlie Kirk as “irreplaceable” as a unique “talent”.
“He’s really irreplaceable…You can’t replace that kind of person and that kind of talent,” Mr Trump said.
“We hold his memory in our hearts forever every single day of this administration, we will continue to carry out the mission for which he lived.
“He lived for this country, lived for his wife and his family, but he lived for this country too. In Charlie’s honour, we will continue like we have been, to fight, fight, fight and to win, win, win.”
Trump hails ‘irreplaceable’ Kirk – Alex Brandon/AP
10:11pm
Trump: Crime in American cities is worse than Afghanistan
Donald Trump said that crime in American cities is worse than Afghanistan as he trumpeted his administration’s crackdown.
Using his award speech to address his own political talking points, Mr Trump said: “In the wake of Charlie’s assassination, our country must have absolutely no tolerance for this radical left violence, extremism and terror. We’re done with the angry mobs, and we’re none. We’re not going to let our cities be unsafe. We’re going to make sure our cities are safe.”
Boasting about his crackdown on crime in Washington DC, and plans to expand deployment of the national guard to Chicago, Mr Trump said that prior to his actions, people in the nation’s capital were “afraid to leave their apartment”.
Interrupted by the sound of a police siren, he said: “What a beautiful sound. They’re stopping crime. That’s what they’re doing.
“You go to Afghanistan, you say, oh, that’s unsafe. Well, the crime numbers are much better than the crime numbers in places that we have.”
10:05pm
Trump rails against ‘far Left radicals’ in political invective
Donald Trump has tacked into a political invective, warning about “far left radicals” committing acts of violence.
“We’ve watched legions of far left radicals resort to desperate acts of violence and terror because they know that their ideas and arguments are persuading no one….They have the devil’s ideology and they’re failing, and they know it, they feel it, and they become violent,” he said.
“On the left, they’ve rammed vehicles into federal law enforcement, fired sniper rifles at ICE agents and me.”
The president went on to joke about his own assassination attempt: “I made a turn at a good time. I turned to the right and the right. Charlie couldn’t believe it.”
Trump speaks at award ceremony – AFP/ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS
10:00pm
Trump credits Kirk for election victory
Donald Trump credited Charlie Kirk for his election win.
The president said that if it wasn’t for Kirk, Kamala Harris could be seated in the White House today..
Recalling Kirk’s early endorsement, Mr Trump said: “[Kirk] said: ‘You’re going to win, sir.’ I said: ‘You know, I’m running against 17 senators and lot of tough people and governors.’… And he said: ‘No, you’re going to win, sir.’”
Mr Trump added: “He made it happen. He helped make it happen. I’ll tell you that, without him, who knows what would be? Maybe you’d have Kamala standing here today. That would not be good.
“In 2024 we won more young people than any Republican by far in the history of our country, and we won the popular vote.”
09:57pm
Trump: Kirk was an evangalist for freedom
Donald Trump lauded Charlie Kirk as an “evangalist for the cause of freedom”.
He said: “Everything he did was historic and a true evangelist for the cause of freedom and the word of Almighty God.
“God was very important to Charlie. He would say, if you don’t have religion, you’re not going to have a strong country.”
09:55pm
Trump: Kirk touched the lives of millions
Donald Trump praised Charlie Kirk for touching the lives of millions of young people.
“Charles James Kirk was a visionary and one of the greatest figures of his generation. He was truly an amazing figure,” Mr Trump said.
“In the hearts of our nation’s youth, that’s where Charlie rode strongest at age 18. That insight inspired Charlie to found the organisation that ultimately touched the lives of millions and millions of people.
“Charlie grew Turning Point into the largest conservative youth organisation in the entire country. He forged a personal bond with countless young conservatives. He fought for free speech, religious liberty, strong borders and a very strong and proud America. In everything he did, he put America first.”
09:52pm
Trump: Kirk believed I could reach a peace deal
Charlie Kirk believed a peace deal could be reached in the Middle East, Donald Trump said.
“As you know, only hours ago, I returned from a very historic trip to secure peace in the Middle East,” Mr Trump said. “People said that couldn’t be done. Charlie felt it could be done. Charlie felt it could be done.”
Describing how he “raced back halfway around the globe” to attend today’s ceremony, which falls on Kirk’s 32nd birthday, Mr Trump quipped about being unable to move the date.
“I was going to call Erica and say: ‘Erica, could you maybe move it to Friday?’” he said. “And I didn’t have the courage to call.”
09:50pm
Kirk was deeply in love with you, Trump tells Erika
Donald Trump praised Erika Kirk, telling her her husband was “deeply in love” with her.
The president reflected on the moment Kirk told him he was going to get married and how the conservative activist lauded his wife-to-be’s beauty and intelligence.
“He was in love with you. He was deeply in love with you,” the president told Mrs Kirk. “Erica, your love and courage have been an inspiration to all of us, and we will always be here for you and we’re always going to be here for your gorgeous, beautiful children, and we’ll never forget what your family is sacrificed for our country.”
Donald Trump speaks alongside Erika Kirk – Alex Brandon/AP
09:47pm
Kirk was old for his years, says Trump
Donald Trump reflected on how long he has been associated with Charlie Kirk, recalling the pair first met when the conservative activist was just 22 years old.
“I said, boy, he’s awfully young, but I thought he was older than that. You know, he looked a little bit older than his age,” Mr Trump joked. “That’s okay, you know, that’s not good when you’re old, but when you’re young, it’s great.”
09:45pm
Trump: Kirk’s assassination was ‘heinous, demonic act of murder’
Donald Trump labelled Charlie Kirk’s murder a “heinous, demonic act of murder”.
Mr Trump said: “He was assassinated in the prime of his life for boldly speaking the truth, for living his faith and relentlessly fighting for a better and stronger America. He loved this country, and that’s why this afternoon, it’s my privilege to posthumously award Charles James Kirk our nation’s highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
09:43pm
Trump praises ‘fearless warrior Kirk’
Donald Trump opened his remarks by praising the “fearless warrior” Charlie Kirk.
“Today we’re here to honour and remember a fearless warrior for liberty, beloved leader who galvanised the next generation like nobody I’ve ever seen before, and an American patriot of the deepest conviction, the finest quality and the highest calibre,” he said.
“The late great Charlie Kirk.”
09:42pm
Trump allies arrive to honour Kirk
Donald Trump sirs down beside girlfriend Bettina Anderson – Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, sits down behind Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary – BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP
Crowds gather to honour Kirk – BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP
JD Vance arrives – AP/Alex Brandon
09:32pm
Trump blares out Lionel Richie
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Rob Crilly, the Telegraph’s chief US correspondent writes in from the South Lawn to report on the soundtrack for the occasion.
The tracks played so far include Lionel Richie’s Hello, Dusty Springfield, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me and Abba’s Dancing Queen, a favourite of the president’s.
Donald Trump is developing a reputation for taking over the playlist in the Rose Garden since it was paved over.
09:25pm
Large crowds see ceremony moved to White House Rose Garden
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So big is the crowd that has descended on the White House that the event has been moved to the newly-renovated Rose Garden.
“The crowd for Charlie K’s Presidential Medal of Freedom presentation is so big and enthusiastic that I moved it out to the new Rose Garden…” Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president said that said the new location will allow people to see the changes he’s made, such as the Presidential Walk of Fame where he hung portraits of the previous commanders-in-chief, along with renovations to the Palm Court.
The White House Rose Garden will host the ceremony to accommodate a large crowd
09:20pm
Watch: Erika Kirk arrives at the White House
Erika Kirk arrived at the White House shortly before 3pm local time (8pm BST) to attend the presidential medal of freedom for her deceased husband.
Mrs Kirk, who has taken over Charlie Kirk’s role as chairman of Turning Point USA since his killing last month, was filmed walking up the path of the White House’s south lawn.
09:15pm
Kirk becomes first medal recipient of Trump’s second term
Charlie Kirk will today become the first recipient of the presidential medal of freedom in Donald Trump’s second term.
In a sign of Kirk’s close ties to the White House, Mr Trump spoke at his funeral in September, calling him a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom.
“I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk, and neither now will history,” the president said at the Arizona memorial, attended by over 90,000 people.
“Because while Charlie has been reunited with his creator in heaven, his voice on earth will let go through the generations, and his name will live forever in the eternal chronicle of America’s greatest patriots.”
Mr Trump has also announced his intention to award the medal to Rudy Giuliani, his disgraced former lawyer, and Ben Carson, who served as the president’s Housing and Urban Development secretary during his first administration.
09:07pm
Kirk joins Mother Teresa as medal recipient
Charlie Kirk will today join a rarefied list of people to have been awarded the presidential medal of honour.
Previous recipients include Mother Teresa, the Catholic nun who was canonised after her death, and Martin Luther King Jr, the civil rights leader.
The award was established by President John F Kennedy in 1963 for individuals making exceptional contributions to the country’s security or national interests or to world peace, or being responsible for significant cultural endeavours or public and private initiatives.
Joe Biden was heavily criticised for awarding the honour to a number of popular culture figures at the end of his presidency including sportsmen Lionel Messi and Magic Johnson, as well as actor Denzel Washington.
09:01pm
Maga influencers descend on capital to honour Kirk
A host of Maga influencers have flown into Washington DC to pay their respects to Charlie Kirk.
Benny Johnson, a podcaster and long-term associate of Kirk, shared a video of himself walking through the airport in which he praised Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers for being patriots.
TSA workers have become a recent flashpoint in the political debate surrounding the government shutdown, with Republicans blaming Democrats’ refusal to agree to a spending bill for flight delays.
Jack Pobosiec, another Right-wing media personality, shared a birthday message for Kirk on X, writing: “You were always on the frontlines”.
08:52pm
Trump rushed home from Egypt to honour Kirk
Donald Trump rushed home from signing the Gaza ceasefire deal in Egypt to honour Charlie Kirk with the presidential medal of freedom.
The president promised Erika Kirk, the political activist’s widow, that he would make it back to Washington in time for a “great celebration” that falls on what would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday, aides told The Daily Mail
“He’s a friend of mine, a friend of all of ours, a friend of all the people right here,” Mr Trump allegedly said during an Oval Office meeting on Friday.
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