Erika Krik delivered a speech in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday, as her late husband was posthumously awarded the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
"Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring my husband in such a profound way," she began. "Charlie always admired your commitment to freedom."
She thanked the First Lady, Vice President, and his family, along with Turning Point USA staff and chapter members, and friends and family "watching from all around the world."
"The very existence of the Presidential Medal of Freedom reminds us that the national interest of the United States has always been freedom," she continued. "Our founders etched it into the preamble of our Constitution, and those words are not relics on parchment. They are a living covenant. The blessings of liberty are not man’s invention. They are God’s endowment."
Charlie "believed that liberty was both a right and a responsibility. And he used to say that freedom is the ability to do what is right without fear. And that’s how he lived," Erika said.
"His name, Charles, literally means ‘free man.’ And that’s exactly who my husband was. From the time I met him, sitting across from him being interviewed about politics, philosophy, and theology, I saw the fire in his soul. There was this divine restlessness within him that came from knowing God placed him on this earth to protect something very sacred. He never stopped fighting for people to experience freedom."
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Erika said that Charlie thought that "without God, freedom becomes chaos," and that the sacred American ideal can only survive as long as it is "anchored to truth." She recalled that her husband had once told a crowd, "The opposite of liberty isn’t law. It’s captivity. And the freest people in the world are those whose hearts belong to Christ."
She continued that as Charlie built Turning Point USA, he was not only building a political organization, but "he was also building a movement: one that called people back to God, back to truth, and a movement that was filled with courage."
Erika went on to describe Charlie as someone who enjoyed simple pleasures, like quiet walks, reading books, and spending Saturday mornings outside with decaf coffee, along with his phone turned off for the Sabbath. And then for his birthday, he would break out mint chocolate chip ice cream to celebrate, a treat he only ever had on the Fourth of July and his birthday.
"Last year, his one birthday wish was to see the Oregon Ducks play Ohio State — and they won," she said. "Mr. President, I can say with confidence that you have given him the best birthday gift he could ever have."
She then began to recall Charlie's final moments.
"It was written across his chest in those final moments on one of his simple T-shirts that always carried a message — this one bearing a single word: freedom. That was the banner over his life."
"Charlie wasn’t content to simply admire freedom. He wanted to multiply it," Erika said. "He wanted young people to taste it, understand it, and defend it. He wanted them to see that liberty isn’t selfish indulgence — it’s self-governance under God."
"He didn’t fear being slandered. He didn’t fear losing friends. He stood for truth and stood for freedom. Everything else was just noise to him. And it’s because his confidence in Christ was absolute."
Charlie, she continued, lived "only 31 short years on this side of heaven," but he filled every day with purpose. "He fought for truth when it was unpopular. He stood for God when it was costly. He prayed for his enemies. He loved people when it was inconvenient. He ran his race with endurance, and he kept the faith. And now he wears the crown of a righteous martyr."
"Heaven gained what earth could no longer contain — a free man made fully free. To all watching, this is not a ceremony. This is a commissioning. I want you to be the embodiment of this medal. I want you to free yourself from fear. I want you to stand courageously in the truth. And remember that while freedom is inherited in this country, each of us must be intentional stewards of it."
Before closing out her speech, she their daughter, Gigi's, birthday message. "Happy birthday, daddy. I want to give you a stuffed animal. I want you to eat a cupcake with ice cream. And I want you to go have a birthday surprise. I love you."
Their son also decided to give a birthday gift, and "decid[ed] to become the man of the house and be fully potty-trained at 16 months."
"I know that you’re celebrating in heaven today, but gosh, I miss you," Erika Kirk said through tears. "We miss you and we love you. And we promise we’ll make you proud. Charlie’s life was proof that freedom is not a theory. It’s a testimony. He showed us that liberty begins not in the halls of power, but in the heart of a man surrendered to God."
She closed by saying, "To live free is the greatest gift, but to die free is the greatest victory. Happy birthday, Charlie. Happy freedom day."
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