Donald Trump's Bizarre Comment About Charlie Kirk's Appearance Reeks Of Projection

Even those who disagreed with Charlie Kirk's views were stunned by his assassination and moved by Erika Kirk's posts about her love story with her late husband. The Turning Point USA founder left behind a grieving wife and two young children who must now grow up without their dad. One of Charlie's good friends was none other than President Donald Trump, who has the conservative commentator to thank for bringing young Republican voters to the polls in 2024. The divisive politician posthumously awarded Charlie the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian award, on October 14, 2025, to coincide with what would have been his birthday. Predictably, however, the event became yet another attention grab on the president's part. Trump couldn't resist giving a rambling speech during the Medal of Freedom ceremony, which naturally was more about him than about the recipient. 

Less than six minutes into it, the former "Apprentice" host made a remark that was odd even by his standards. Noting that the late podcaster would have turned 32 that day, Trump shared, "When I first met him, he was like 22. I said, 'Boy, he's awfully young,' but I thought he was older than that, you know? He looked a little older than his age. That's okay — that's not good when you're old, but when you're young, it's great," (via YouTube). This bizarre observation came off as the latest sign of insecurity from a leader who frequently tries to ignore his own age. When Trump turned 78, in 2024, he wasn't particularly thrilled to be serenaded by a group of fans in Las Vegas. "You know, there's a certain point at which you don't want to hear 'Happy Birthday,'" he whined, per The New York Times. "You just want to pretend the day doesn't exist." 

With his milestone 80th birthday approaching in 2026, President Donald Trump is more determined than ever to show the world that age is just a number. He makes every effort to present a strong, youthful appearance. Trump's tan evolution since his first administration is one big example. The controversial politician rarely appears in public without bronzer covering most of his face, the better to avoid looking like a feeble old grandpa. Trump's signature floofy blonde 'do is his other nod to vanity. One would have thought he would be thrilled to make the cover of Time magazine following the president's successful deal to end the Israel-Gaza conflict. But Trump's rant about the magazine cover showed his deep insecurity about balding. Instead of gloating about being hailed as a peacemaker, he grumbled that the photo didn't show enough of his (nonexistent) hair.

The divisive leader deftly managed to shift the attention from Charlie Kirk back to himself during the rest of his Medal of Freedom speech too, including explaining that he first met the political commentator during his 2016 presidential campaign, before going on for a full two minutes about how Kirk helped him secure a second term. While Trump made sure to mention the late podcaster's Christian faith, he couldn't help interjecting, "He is going to make heaven. I said I'm not sure I can make it, but he's going to make it." This echoed a dark prediction Trump made about reaching heaven just a day earlier, which suggests that the president is more concerned about his age and health than he likes to let on. But unlike Kirk, no one would dare suggest that Trump looks older than he actually is.