WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump introduced on Sept. 11 that he’ll posthumously award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the 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 chatting with a crowd of scholars at Utah Valley College in Orem, Utah.
“Earlier than we start, let me categorical the horror and grief so many People on the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk have felt,” Trump stated at first of his speech.
“Charlie was a large of his era, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of individuals.
“We miss him tremendously. But I’ve little doubt that Charlie’s voice and the braveness he put into the hearts of numerous individuals, particularly younger individuals, will dwell 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 shall be introduced later, however predicted a big turnout.
“I can solely assure you one factor,” he stated. “That we’ll have a really massive crowd.”
Since co-founding Turning Level USA in 2012 alongside conservative commentator Invoice Montgomery, Kirk grew to become generally known as a passionate advocate for conservative values who mobilized younger voters throughout the nation in latest 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 stated he’ll communicate with Kirk’s household on Thursday afternoon.
“I can’t imagine Charlie—what a fantastic man he was,” Trump advised reporters after the ceremony.
“You don’t exchange a Charlie Kirk. He was distinctive.”
Trump additionally stated 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, stated investigators had eyes on the suspect arriving on campus at 11:52 a.m. native time on Sept. 10, they usually tracked his actions by campus, up stairwells, and onto the roof to the capturing location. Kirk was shot round 12:20 p.m. native time.
They have been then capable of monitor the suspect as he moved onto the opposite aspect of the constructing, jumped off, and fled the campus right into a neighborhood.
Mason stated investigators have totally labored by these neighborhoods, gathering no matter data they may by way of doorbell cameras, witnesses, and anyone they may contact to establish any leads.
“We do have good video footage of this particular person,” Mason advised reporters.
“We’re not going to launch that presently. We’re working by some applied sciences and a few methods to establish this particular person.
“If we’re unsuccessful, we are going to attain out to you because the media, and we are going to push that publicly to assist us establish them.”
T.J. Muscaro contributed to this report.
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