What’s going on in Erica Kirk’s eyes?

Speaker Erica Kirk (widow of Charlie Kirk):

Mr. President, thank you for honoring my husband in such a profound and meaningful way, and thank you for making this event a priority amid the peace process in the Middle East. Thank you. Very grateful. Four-Charlie-Sorry. Charlie always admired your commitment to independence, and it’s something you both shared, so thank you.

I will always cherish your support of our family and the work that Charlie dedicated his life to, so thank you. Thank you also to our gracious First Lady and her office for making this event possible. It is beautiful.

To Vice President and beloved Usha Vance, your friendship has been an incredible encouragement. And to all of our friends and family who are here and watching from around the world, thank you for loving us, thank you for praying for us, and thank you for believing in what Charlie believed. And our Turning Point USA staff and the Charlie Kirk Show staff, we love you more than you know.

And the Turning Point USA chapter that all of America is watching right now, you are the heartbeat of this future and this movement. Whatever Charlie created—you guys are the bearers of his legacy. You are living proof that his mission did not end with him. It lives through you.

Charlie always said, “The next generation will decide whether freedom will endure.” And because of you, I know freedom will endure. it. And today, we have gathered not only to celebrate Charlie’s birthday, but also to honor the truth that he gave his entire life to defend – and that is freedom. The existence of the Presidential Medal of Freedom reminds us that the national interest of the United States has always been freedom.

Our Founders carved it in the Preamble of our Constitution, and these words are not a relic on parchment. He is a living covenant. The blessing of freedom is not an invention of man; They are God’s gift.

Charlie lived for those blessings – not as abstract words, but as sacred promises. He loved writing journals on this subject all the time, and with a grateful heart. He believed that freedom is both a right and a responsibility, and he used to say, “Liberty is the ability to do right without fear.” And he lived like this.

He became free from fear. He was free from compromise, free from anything that could enslave his soul. His name Charles literally means “free man”, and that’s exactly what my husband was. He was an independent man.

From the moment I met him – sitting across from him, being interviewed on politics and philosophy and theology, anything Charlie liked, any topic he liked – I just saw the fire in his soul. There was this divine restlessness within him that came from knowing that God had put him on this earth to protect something so sacred to all of us.

And he never stopped fighting to make people experience freedom. He didn’t. Charlie often said that without God, freedom becomes anarchy, and he believed that freedom can only survive by holding on to the truth. I remember in one of his speeches he told the audience that there is no contrary law to freedom. He said it is captivity – and the freest people in the world are those whose hearts belong to Christ.

What’s so powerful is that Charlie had the ability to communicate so brilliantly across all generations, and he reminded us that in a world that tells us freedom is to do what you want, real freedom is the power to live freely and do what’s right. And in one of his journal entries he wrote that he wanted everyone to know that you cannot have freedom without moral responsibility.

Freedom separated from faith ultimately destroys itself. And what’s so fascinating about all this, looking at the last twelve years of Turning Point USA and their mission, is almost this veil of sanity. Because I realized that while he was building an organization, he was also building a movement—a movement that was calling people back to God, to the truth, and a movement full of courage.

The irony is that as a man who influenced millions of people, Charlie never desired to be the center of attention. He just wasn’t there. My husband was not a spendthrift man. He liked simple but deeply meaningful things. Really.

He loved walking till late night. He liked to buy more books than he could read because he believed there was no such thing as a book budget. And he loved reading the same bedtime story to our children over and over again because he knew it was their favorite story. He was special to her. He loved sitting in the sun on Saturday mornings with a cup of decaffeinated coffee, turning off his phone because he was honoring the Sabbath.

For him, it was that moment to take his breath and be at peace, because he could not be contacted at that moment. He liked quiet birthdays. But that never stopped me from telling him. I told him every year.

I said, “Baby, I love your birthday.” I said, “Because this is the day God learned that the world can’t live another day without you.” Our usual birthday celebration for him was mint chocolate chip ice cream. He ate it only twice a year – on his birthday and on the Fourth of July.

And then, after that, it’s back to business as usual. But last year, one of his birthday wishes was to see the Oregon Ducks play Ohio State, and they won. Oregon won that night. And it was one of the most memorable nights of his life till date.

To be honest, President Trump, I have spent seven and a half years trying to find the perfect birthday gift for Charlie. And for those of you who have a spouse or loved one – you know how difficult it sometimes is to buy a gift for someone you love. Since he was not a materialistic person, this also did not help.

But now I can say with confidence, Mr. President, that you have given him the best birthday gift ever. It is such an honor – and recognition of a life lived in defense of freedom. Charlie fought for this till his last breath.

It was written on his chest in those final moments – on one of his simple T-shirts that always had a message on it. It contained a single word: “Freedom.” That was the banner over his life, and that shirt was a declaration – the same declaration he made in every speech, in every campus visit, every time he shared the gospel in a church, every sleepless night that he would spend praying for the youth of this country and planning for the future of our country.

He continued to impress upon them that when we protect freedom, we protect the soul of our nation. My husband never told anyone what to say. He never did. He will just encourage them to think. He encouraged them to think outside traditional political labels.

He wanted them to think based on knowledge and truth. But he never told anyone what to say. Charlie was not content with simply praising freedom. He wanted to increase it manifold. He wanted the youth to taste it, understand it and defend it.

He wanted them to see that freedom is not self-indulgence – it is self-rule under God. And every day, I would see him getting ready for work. She wore her cross necklace, she wore her ring on her finger, and there was always boldness in her demeanor.

He was not afraid. Never. In his daily work – whether in the office, on campus, or in church – he always lived without fear. This was his creed. This is how he lived every day.

He had no fear of defamation. He was not afraid of losing friends. He didn’t care. He stood for truth and freedom, and everything else was just noise to him. His faith in Christ was complete—that’s why.

There was no limit to the sacrifices he would make to protect the freedom of all. And if the time had come, he probably would have run for president—but not out of ambition. He would have done so only if he believed that his country needed it from the heart of a servant.

Charlie lived only 31 short years. Now, he’s 32 years old this side of heaven—but he lived. Every single second, he lived. He filled every single day with purpose. They fought for the truth when the truth was unpopular and stood up for God when the truth was costly—but that’s what we are called to do.

Amazingly, he prayed for his enemies – which is very difficult – but he did it. No one else saw it, but I did. He never did this in front of anyone else, but I can confirm it. He loved people even in uncomfortable situations.

He finished his race with patience, he kept the faith, and now he wears the crown of a righteous martyr. For me and our children, the truth stabilizes our sorrow because Heaven has achieved what earth can no longer bear – a free man made completely free.

To all those watching – this is not a ceremony. This is a commissioning. And my message is simple: I want you to be the embodiment of this medal. I want you to free yourself from fear. I want you to stand boldly with the truth.

Listen for God’s still, small voice. And remember that although freedom is inherited in this country, each of us must be deliberate stewards every day. God began a mighty work through my husband, and I intend to complete it. The torch is now in our hands.

It’s in me, it’s in you, it’s in all of you – it’s in all of the students at Turning Point USA. Before we end, I’ll share with you that I asked my daughter what she would like to say to Daddy on his birthday. She said, “Happy birthday daddy.

I want to give you a stuffed animal. I want you to eat a cupcake with ice cream. And I want to give you a surprise on your birthday. I love you.” And while our son – he’s precious – can’t speak yet, in classic Kirk family fashion, his actions speak louder than words.

His gift to you, Charlie – and to me, for that matter – was to decide to become the man of the house and be fully potty-trained at sixteen months. But Charlie, baby, I know you’re celebrating in heaven today. God, I miss you. We miss you, and we love you, and we promise we’ll make you proud.

Charlie’s life is proof that freedom is not a theory – it is a testimony. He showed us that freedom does not begin in the corridors of power, but in the heart of a man devoted to God. And so, today, as we honor Charlie with this incredible Presidential Medal of Freedom on his birthday, I stand here with tears in my eyes and a humble heart and soul.

Because his story reminds us all that living free is the greatest gift – but dying free is the greatest victory.

Happy birthday, my Charlie.

Happy Independence Day.