'A slap in the face': Trump's Charlie Kirk honor announcement sparks outrage online

Speaking during a ceremony commemorating the Sept. 11 attacks, President Donald Trump announced that he would be posthumously awarding right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, an announcement that sparked outrage online, with critics decrying it as a “slap in the face” to 9/11 victims.

“Did I just hear (Defense Secretary Pete) Hegseth read from the Bible and honor Charlie Kirk at the 9/11 Remembrance and now the orange pedo is saying he’s giving the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk?” wrote X user “VoteBlueToSaveTheUSA,” a devout supporter of former Vice President Kamala Harris with more than 1,300 followers. “This is insanity and a slap in the face to everyone who died and suffered on 9/11.”

Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University, sparking widespread media coverage and bi-partisan condemnation. The suspect is still at large, though law enforcement say they’ve obtained video and identifying information on the suspected shooter.

As the highest civilian award in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom being awarded to Kirk drew widespread scrutiny among critics, largely due to his past controversial statements. Examples include an instance where he said he would force his own 10-year-old daughter to carry a pregnancy to term should she be sexually assaulted.

“Trump just announced he’s giving Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom while speaking at the 9-11 memorial at the Pentagon,” wrote X User “That Gay Guy Candle Co.,” who operates a candle company of which a portion of the proceeds go towards organizations supporting the LGBTQ community, and has amassed more than 44,000 followers. “So inappropriate, just like everything else he does.”

Others argued that the announcement devalued the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with X user “Penny,” a content creator for brands who’s amassed more than 2,200 followers, saying that the announcement turned “the nation’s highest honor into a partisan trophy,” and called it “shameful.”

“Posthumously giving Charlie Kirk the Medal of Freedom?” the user wrote on X. “This country handing out ‘freedom’ medals to men who spent their careers attacking freedoms is peak America. It’s less an honor and more a parody at this point.”