Trump gives Charlie Kirk 'best birthday present ever' as he 'raced across world' to be with Erika Kirk
President Donald Trump has bestowed the highest civilian honour on the late Charlie Kirk, with his wife Erika in attendance, who described it as the 'best birthday gift' for her late husband.
The 47th US President delivered an emotional speech about the conservative activist at the White House, calling him a 'fearless warrior for liberty'.
Kirk was known for founding Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organisation which advocates for conservative politics on the campuses of high schools and universities.
On 10 September, Kirk was assassinated at an event at Utah Valley University (UVU) in front of around 3,000 people after a single shot to his neck proved fatal.
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Trump confirmed the death in a video message, where the President even criticised the 'radical left'.
Over a month on from the 31-year-old's passing, Trump claimed he 'raced back halfway around the globe' to pay tribute to the activist.
The President awarded Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on what would have been his 32nd birthday yesterday (October 14), with his widow Erika in attendance.
She could be seen wiping away tears in what was one of her first public appearances since her late husband's highly publicised memorial service in Arizona, before thanking Trump for the honour.
The mum-of-two said: "You have given him the best birthday gift he could ever have."
Erika revealed that she'd asked their daughter what 'she would like to say to Daddy' on his birthday, revealing: "And she said, 'Happy birthday Daddy, I want to give you a stuffed animal.
"I want to eat a cupcake with ice cream and I want you to come home for a birthday surprise. I love you'."
Take a look at the emotional moment here:
Trump, who was at a Middle East peace summit just one day prior, also took to the stage and stated: "I raced back halfway around the globe. I was going to call Erika and ask, 'Could you maybe move it to Friday?' but I didn't have the courage to call.
"But you know why I didn't call? Because I heard today was Charlie's birthday."
In an official statement on their social media accounts, the White House said: "Charlie Kirk was assassinated in the prime of his life for speaking the truth, living his faith, & relentlessly fighting for America.
"That is why today President Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk our nation's highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom."
Trump also paid tribute to Erika, who is now the CEO of Turning Point USA: "I was with him before I met Erika. And he told me he was going to get married. He said, 'You won't believe how beautiful she is'.
"And you know what? She's like the smartest person I know," he said, adding: "See, they do go together on occasion. Not often. Not often. But on occasion, they go together."
He wasn't done there, adding that Kirk 'is gonna make heaven', before crediting him with his role in the conservative movement, claiming: "Without him, who knows, maybe we would have Kamala standing here today. That would not be good."
Trump said that 'everything he did was historic', before comparing him to world-famous figures who were killed for their views, such as Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.
The President described Kirk as a 'martyr for truth and for freedom', saying: "Those who change history of the most he really did, have always risked their lives for causes they were put on Earth to defend."
Topics: Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, US News, Politics
Joshua Nair