President Donald Trump on Tuesday posthumously awarded conservative activist Charlie Kirk the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on what would have been his 32nd birthday.
The ceremony took place in the newly-renovated White House Rose Garden.
The award was accepted by Erika Kirk, who delivered tearful remarks on her husband’s life and legacy. In one especially emotional moment, she said she had asked her 3-year-old daughter what she would like to say to her father for his birthday.
“‘Happy birthday daddy,'” she said the girl’s message read. “I want to give you a stuffed animal. I want you to eat a cupcake with ice cream. And I want you to go have a birthday surprise. I love you,’ it’s what she said.”
“Today, we’re here to honor and remember a fearless warrior for liberty, a beloved leader who galvanized the next generation like nobody have ever seen before, and an American patriot of the deepest conviction, the finest quality and the highest caliber, the late, great Charlie Kirk,” Trump said.
“Five weeks ago, our nation was robbed of this extraordinary champion,” Trump said.
Kirk was fatally shot on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University on the first stop of his The American Comeback Tour, which invited college students to debate hot-button issues.
Trump was the first to announce later that day that Kirk had died, and the next day said he would be be awarding Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom as he hailed the Turning Point USA founder “a giant of his generation.”
The House and Senate previously approved a resolution to mark the date of Kirk’s birthday, Oct. 14, as a “National Day of Remembrance.”
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The medal ceremony came after Trump rushed back to Washington in the early hours of Tuesday morning after a trip to the Middle East to celebrate a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that he helped broker.
Trump said Tuesday he considering calling Erika Kirk to move the event to later this week but said he decided not to after realizing it was Kirk’s birthday.
The president and Erika Kirk previously shared a heartfelt moment on stage at Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona, hugging after Trump’s closing remarks and after Erika Kirk said she’d forgiven her husband’s killer.
On Tuesday, Trump commended Erika Kirk’s “unbelievable strength” and recounted a story he said Charlie Kirk told him of when they met.
“We will always be here for you. And we’re always going to be here for your gorgeous, beautiful children,” Trump said. Kirk is survived by his wife and their two young children.
“We’ll never forget what your family has sacrificed for our country,” Trump said.
Kirk was influential in building Trump’s movement and was particularly popular among young conservatives. He was a key ally to Trump and a friend to many inside his administration. But some of his comments on gun violence, LGBTQ issues, race and more often drew criticism from liberals and others.
“We’re entering his name forever into the eternal roster of true American heroes. He’s a true American hero, an amazing person,” Trump said.
