US President Donald Trump on Tuesday posthumously awarded conservative activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, describing him as one of the “true American heroes” during a ceremony at the White House Rose Garden.

Erika Kirk, the late activist’s widow and current CEO of Turning Point USA, accepted the nation’s highest civilian honour on his behalf. A military aide introducing the award said the United States honours Kirk as “a martyr for truth and freedom.”

Trump, who returned from the Middle East around 3 a.m. Tuesday, told attendees, “I was going to call Erika and say, ‘Erika, could you maybe move it to Friday?'”

He added that it was a “definite” decision to make it back for the event, which coincided with what would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday.

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