WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump introduced on Sept. 11 that he’ll posthumously award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the very best civilian honor in america. The announcement got here throughout a speech on the Pentagon commemorating the twenty fourth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist assaults.
Kirk, a distinguished conservative and political commentator, was shot and killed on Sept. 10 on the age of 31 whereas talking to a crowd of scholars at Utah Valley College in Orem, Utah.
“Earlier than we start, let me categorical the horror and grief so many Individuals on the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk have felt,” Trump mentioned in the beginning of his speech.
“Charlie was an enormous of his era, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to tens of millions and tens of millions of individuals.
“We miss him tremendously. But I’ve little question that Charlie’s voice and the braveness he put into the hearts of numerous individuals, particularly younger individuals, will stay on. I’m happy to announce that I’ll quickly be awarding Charlie Kirk, posthumously, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
He added that the date of the ceremony might be introduced later, however predicted a big turnout.
“I can solely assure you one factor,” he mentioned. “That we are going to have a really huge crowd.”
Since co-founding Turning Level USA in 2012 alongside conservative commentator Invoice Montgomery, Kirk turned often called a passionate advocate for conservative values who mobilized younger voters throughout the nation in current elections.
A single shot was fired at Kirk whereas he was talking at Utah Valley College as a part of his American Comeback tour, with the bullet placing him within the neck. Hours later, Trump introduced that Kirk was “not with us.” Kirk leaves behind his spouse, Erika Kirk, and two kids.
Trump mentioned he’ll communicate with Kirk’s household on Thursday afternoon.
“I can’t imagine Charlie—what an important man he was,” Trump advised reporters after the ceremony.
“You don’t exchange a Charlie Kirk. He was distinctive.”
Trump additionally mentioned that he had been briefed on the continued manhunt for the shooter.
Because the seek for Kirk’s murderer enters its second day, Utah’s public security commissioner, Beau Mason, mentioned investigators had eyes on the suspect arriving on campus at 11:52 a.m. native time on Sept. 10, they usually tracked his actions via campus, up stairwells, and onto the roof to the capturing location. Kirk was shot round 12:20 p.m. native time.
They had been then in a position to observe the suspect as he moved onto the opposite aspect of the constructing, jumped off, and fled the campus right into a neighborhood.
Mason mentioned investigators have totally labored via these neighborhoods, accumulating no matter data they might through doorbell cameras, witnesses, and anyone they might contact to determine any leads.
“We do have good video footage of this particular person,” Mason advised reporters.
“We’re not going to launch that at the moment. We’re working via some applied sciences and a few methods to determine this particular person.
“If we’re unsuccessful, we’ll attain out to you because the media, and we’ll push that publicly to assist us determine them.”
T.J. Muscaro contributed to this report.
In the event you discovered this text attention-grabbing, please take into account supporting conventional journalism
Our first version was revealed 25 years in the past from a basement in Atlanta. In the present day, The Epoch Instances brings fact-based, award-winning journalism to tens of millions of Individuals.
Our journalists have been threatened, arrested, and assaulted, however our dedication to impartial journalism has by no means wavered. This yr marks our twenty fifth yr of impartial reporting, free from company and political affect.
That’s why you’re invited to a limited-time introductory supply — simply $1 per week — so you possibly can be part of tens of millions already celebrating impartial information.
