Speaking at the Pentagon on Thursday morning for memorial services marking the 24th anniversary of the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks, Donald Trump said he would be awarding rightwing activist and close ally Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot on Wednesday, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Kirk was a “giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people”, Trump said. “Our prayers are with his wonderful wife, Erika and his beautiful children, fantastic people they are. We miss him greatly, yet I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on.”
Trump said that the date of the Medal of Freedom ceremony will be announced soon. “I can only guarantee you one thing, that we will have a very big crowd,” he added.
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Following his tribute to Kirk, Trump shifted his remarks to 9/11.
“That terrible morning, 24 years ago, time itself stood still,” Trump said. “The laughter of school children fell silent, the rush of our traffic came to an absolute halt, and for 2,977 innocent souls and their families, their entire world came crashing down.
“Today, as one nation, we renew our sacred vow that we will never forget September 11 2001,” Trump said, before he read aloud some of the final words exchanged by passengers aboard the hijacked airplanes to their loved ones.
“In America, we take blows, but we never buckle, we bleed, but we do not bow,” he continued. “We defy the fear, endure the flames and emerge from the crucible of every hunch and stronger, prouder and greater than ever before.”
Trump also referenced his decision to rename the Department of Defense, the Department of War.
“If you attack the United States of America, we will hunt you down, and we will find you,” the president said. “We will crush you without mercy, and we will triumph without question, that’s why we named the former Department of Defense the Department of War.”
“Everybody wanted it,” Trump added. “Everybody is so happy to have it back.”
Trump concluded up his remarks by vowing to “support our troops, we will protect our families, and we will preserve the American way of life for every future generation”.
“We will build taller, grow stronger, fight harder and soar higher, and together, we will go forward as one people with one heart, one faith, one flag and one glorious destiny under Almighty God,” Trump said. “May God bless the memories of those who died and the heroes who fought and the soldiers who still stand watch. May God bless the United States of America.”
Thursday’s observance ceremony at the Pentagon commemorated the 184 lives lost when the hijacked American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.
Melania Trump, the first lady; Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff; and Pete Hegseth, US defense secretary, were also in attendance. Both Caine and Hegseth delivered brief remarks.
“Thank you for being here to gather in remembrance, to grieve our nation’s loss and draw strength from the heroism Americans demonstrated that day,” Caine said. “September 11 reminds us that even in the darkest of times, American strength endures and if attacked, we will immediately fight back.”
Hegseth recalled where he was when the 9/11 attacks occurred, telling the crowd that he was a “college junior with a fresh set of army fatigues in my dorm room closet, having just joined army ROTC”.
“From that day forward, I felt an unshakable call to action, a duty, to defend our sacred homeland with everything I had,” he said.
Hegseth added that the Trump administration is committed to “learning the correct lessons of that day and the decades of courage that followed” and said that “war must not become a mere tool for global social work.”
Hegseth also paid tribute to Kirk.
“The life, example, and even death of Christ-follower and American patriot Charlie Kirk give me hope, sheer courage, no matter the arena” he said. “Charlie, we love you, know that you have heard the Lord’s words: well done, good and faithful servant. Full heart, clear eyes — like those on 9/11, you will never be forgotten.”
JD Vance had been scheduled to attend the 9/11 memorial in New York City on Thursday, but according to reports, he and second lady Usha Vance will be instead traveling to Salt Lake City to pay respects to Kirk’s family.
Later on Thursday, Trump is scheduled to attend a Yankees baseball game in New York City, in honor of the 9/11 anniversary.