The assassination of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk stunned the US. After his death, his widow Erika Kirk revealed that her late husband “probably would have run for president" had he lived. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump and a cast of prominent conservatives paid tribute to Charlie Kirk, the activist who was a rising figure on the political right when he was shot and killed last month. Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, comparing the slain 31-year-old podcast host and founder of Turning Point USA to leading figures in history.
“Charlie Kirk was a martyr for truth and for freedom,” he said. “From Socrates and Saint Peter, to Abraham Lincoln, to Martin Luther King, those who changed history the most … have always risked their lives for causes they were put on earth to defend.”
The ceremony came just weeks after Kirk was shot dead on September 10 during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. Police said 22-year-old Tyler Robinson killed him after disagreeing with his political views and also noted that Kirk spread "too much hatred."
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“Charlie spent only 31 short years on this side of heaven, yet he lived every single moment with purpose, standing for truth even when it was unpopular,” Erika said.
Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Sept. 10 while speaking at a college in Utah, an attack that sparked widespread outrage and heightened fears of political violence. Last month, the House and Senate approved a resolution making Oct. 14 a “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk.”
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The president added that he believed Kirk was “looking down on us right now,” calling his death a reminder of growing political 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,” Trump said. “They have the devil’s ideology and they’re failing. And they know it. They feel it, and they become violent.”
At his funeral, Erika Kirk had said that she had forgiven his killer, said her late husband also believed in the Christian principle of forgiveness. “Surprisingly enough, he did pray for his enemies,” she said. “I saw him do it.”
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“Charlie Kirk was a martyr for truth and for freedom,” he said. “From Socrates and Saint Peter, to Abraham Lincoln, to Martin Luther King, those who changed history the most … have always risked their lives for causes they were put on earth to defend.”
The ceremony came just weeks after Kirk was shot dead on September 10 during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. Police said 22-year-old Tyler Robinson killed him after disagreeing with his political views and also noted that Kirk spread "too much hatred."
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Charlie Kirk was driven by faith
Addressing a crowd of family, supporters, and administration officials, Erika spoke of her husband as a man deeply guided by faith and evangelical principles. “There were no limits to what he would have sacrificed to defend freedom for all,” she said. “And had the moment arrived, he might have run for president—not out of ambition, but because he truly believed his country needed him, from a servant’s heart.” She added that Kirk “fought for truth.”“Charlie spent only 31 short years on this side of heaven, yet he lived every single moment with purpose, standing for truth even when it was unpopular,” Erika said.
Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Sept. 10 while speaking at a college in Utah, an attack that sparked widespread outrage and heightened fears of political violence. Last month, the House and Senate approved a resolution making Oct. 14 a “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk.”
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Trump praises Kirk
Trump hailed Charlie Kirk as a “martyr” for conservative values and compared him to some of history’s greatest figures. “Charlie Kirk was a martyr for truth and for freedom,” Trump said. “And from Socrates to Saint Peter, from Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King, those who change history the most — and he really did — have always risked their lives for causes they were put on Earth to defend.”The president added that he believed Kirk was “looking down on us right now,” calling his death a reminder of growing political 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,” Trump said. “They have the devil’s ideology and they’re failing. And they know it. They feel it, and they become violent.”
At his funeral, Erika Kirk had said that she had forgiven his killer, said her late husband also believed in the Christian principle of forgiveness. “Surprisingly enough, he did pray for his enemies,” she said. “I saw him do it.”
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