Charlie Kirk Receives Highest Civilian Medal… Efforts to Rally Supporters by Calling Him a ‘Martyr’
President Trump Converses with Kirk’s Wife
(Washington Reuters=Yonhap News) On the 14th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump presented a posthumous medal to Erika, the wife of right-wing youth activist Charlie Kirk who was assassinated last month, at the White House in Washington D.C. 2025.10.14
(Washington=Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Dong-hyun = U.S. President Donald Trump on the 14th (local time) commemorated Charlie Kirk, a right-wing youth activist assassinated last month, and reiterated a stern response against opposing forces he defined as “far-left.”
President Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Kirk in the Rose Garden of the White House.
The Medal of Freedom is the highest honor the U.S. President can bestow on a civilian. Erika, Kirk’s wife, accepted it on his behalf.
President Trump said, “Today we gather to honor and remember a fearless warrior for freedom, a leader loved and inspired by the next generation more than anyone I’ve seen.”
He praised Kirk as a “hero of America,” stating, “He fought for freedom of expression and religion, strong borders, and a very strong and proud America. He truly put America first.”
Kirk was an iconic figure for many young followers in the ‘MAGA’ (Make America Great Again) camp, a staunch supporter base of President Trump, and he died after being shot at a university debate on October 10.
The award ceremony on what would have been Kirk’s birthday was attended by key figures from the administration and Republican members of Congress, including the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, the House Majority Leader, the Chief of Staff, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and Donald Trump Jr., indicating Kirk’s influence during his lifetime.
President Trump previously blamed Kirk’s death on the progressive forces and vowed not to overlook “far-left elements,” aiming to rally the conservative base.
He referred to the evangelical Christian Kirk as a “martyr,” claiming, “We have seen that the mob of radical far-leftists desperately resort to violence and terror because they know their ideology and arguments persuade no one. They hold a devilish ideology and are failing.”
He further stated, “Our country must never tolerate this far-left violence, extremism, and terrorism. They are harming our country, and we are truly reclaiming our nation, bit by bit.”