During a White House ceremony honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Oct. 14, former President Donald Trump offered remarks that contrasted with the reflections shared by Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk.
Trump referenced Erika’s eulogy from a previous service, in which she emphasized that her family’s faith teaches them to “love your opponents.” Standing in the White House Rose Garden, Trump appeared to push back slightly, saying, “He was able to fight people that were enemies, and he didn’t necessarily love those enemies so much.”
“I heard he loved his enemies and I said, ‘Wait a minute, is that the same Charlie that I knew?’ I’m not sure. But I didn’t want to get into it,” he added.
Trump’s comments came weeks after a public memorial service on Sept. 21, when both he and Erika spoke about Kirk’s compassion and conviction. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was killed on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University when a gunman opened fire during his “American Comeback Tour.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/donald-trump-erika-kirk-1-101525-c321b526c56c44f8b44bac4613546a0b.jpg)
In her eulogy, Erika, 36, said Charlie would have forgiven his killer, guided by his belief in the gospel’s message of “love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.” Trump echoed those sentiments at the same memorial, saying, “Charlie Kirk truly was … he was a missionary with a noble spirit and a great, great purpose. He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them.”
During the Medal of Freedom ceremony—which coincided with what would have been Charlie’s 32nd birthday—Trump also recalled the assassination attempt at his July 2024 rally in Pennsylvania, when a sniper’s bullet narrowly missed him. He claimed Charlie had been astonished by how quickly he turned his head at that moment.
“I made a turn at a good time. I made a turn at a good time, I turned to the right,” Trump said. “Charlie couldn’t believe it. He said, ‘How the hell did you make that turn?’ I said, ‘I don’t know.’”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2):format(webp)/charlie-kirk-utah-valley-university-091125-2-bf1f458e5313408c96490cbb9a952870.jpg)
Erika accepted the Medal of Freedom on her late husband’s behalf, telling Trump, “Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring my husband in such a profound and meaningful way.”
Trump first announced his intention to present the award to Charlie on Sept. 11, saying, “I am pleased to announce that I will soon be awarding Charlie Kirk, posthumously, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The date of the ceremony will be announced, and I can only guarantee you one thing: that we will have a very big crowd. Very, very big.”
Originally established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, the Presidential Medal of Freedom recognizes individuals who have made “especially meritorious contributions” to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, or significant cultural or public endeavors.
