Trump to award Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk posthumously today

President Donald Trump will posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to conservative activist and talk show host Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed last month at a Utah college event.

Trump will participate in a ceremony at the White House Tuesday afternoon.

Kirk was a top-rated podcaster and the founder and executive director of Turning Point USA, the largest national student conservative organizations in the country.

Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, during the general election campaign.

Featured in Forbes's "30 Under 30" list, Kirk was the youngest speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention and the opening speaker at the 2020 RNC. He authored several books, including "The MAGA Doctrine," a New York Times and Amazon bestseller.

He also hosted "The Charlie Kirk Show," a nationally syndicated daily radio show on Salem Radio Network and news podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Kirk was killed by a single shot in an apparent targeted attack during an outdoor event last month at Utah Valley University. 

The memorial service for Kirk drew tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance, other senior administration officials and young conservatives.