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Tags: byron donalds | charlie kirk | donald trump | presidential medal of freedom | debate | violence

Rep. Donalds to Newsmax: Honor Kirk With Civil Debate, Not Violence

By    |   Tuesday, 14 October 2025 07:14 PM EDT

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told Newsmax on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's decision to posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk should inspire Americans to return to "civil discourse and respect for one another's humanity" after the violence that claimed the conservative leader's life.

Donalds said on "The Chris Salcedo Show" that the White House ceremony where Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, accepted the nation's highest civilian honor was "one of the most beautiful ceremonies I think I've ever witnessed."

"I think I'll use Erika Kirk's words properly," Donalds said. "It wasn't just a ceremony.

"It was a commission for people who took the time to watch this, to understand that what Charlie Kirk did in his life is something that all people aspire to do: live your life to the fullest. He did it in supporting freedom, liberty, and opportunity for all of America," he said.

Donalds said Kirk's example should motivate Americans to move beyond political hate and return to reasoned debate.

"We're going to have disagreements as Americans," he said. "Part of being a free nation means everybody is afforded the ability to express themselves by God Almighty.

"But what we also have to do with that freedom is have the discipline and the responsibility to respect everyone's humanity, so we do not have another situation like this."

Donalds said the moment calls for leaders and citizens alike "to follow that charge" — to argue passionately, but peacefully, about the country's future.

Kirk, co-founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, was assassinated on Sept. 10 during an event at Utah Valley University.

The White House ceremony on Tuesday, which would have been Kirk's 32nd birthday, honored his commitment to free speech and civic engagement. The ceremony aired live on Newsmax and the Newsmax2 free online streaming platform.

At the ceremony, Trump called Kirk "a visionary and one of the greatest figures of his generation," praising him as "a true evangelist for the cause of freedom and the word of Almighty God."

He added that Kirk "fought for free speech, religious liberty, strong borders, and a very strong and proud America."

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Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told Newsmax on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's decision to posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk should inspire Americans to return to "civil discourse and respect for one another's humanity."
byron donalds, charlie kirk, donald trump, presidential medal of freedom, debate, violence
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Tuesday, 14 October 2025 07:14 PM
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