Republican senators, led by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., have formally requested President Donald Trump to include the slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk in the National Garden of American Heroes, a proposed memorial park featuring 250 life-size statues of renowned American figures. The lawmakers have written to Trump, urging the inclusion of Kirk, who was killed in an assassination last month in Orem, Utah, while addressing an audience at Utah Valley University. This move comes as the Senate continues to debate the broader implications of the incident and its potential ties to political violence.
Kirk’s murder, which occurred on October 14, was followed by a Senate hearing that examined the role of politically motivated violence in public discourse. The hearing, which took place in the wake of the assassination, was prompted by a letter from Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., calling for an investigation into the alleged connection between the attack and the broader political climate. The hearing, attended by bipartisan lawmakers and experts, concluded with a bipartisan agreement to take further actions to protect free speech and political expression while condemning acts of violence, regardless of political affiliation.
The request to include Kirk in the National Garden of American Heroes has received support from his widow, Erika Kirk, and over a dozen Republican senators. Erika Kirk has highlighted her late husband’s influence on American culture, calling him a ‘modern American Founding Father’ who ‘forever changed the direction of this country.’ She has expressed gratitude to Sen. Cassidy and the other senators for nominating her husband for the honor.
The National Garden of American Heroes was first proposed by Trump in 2020 as an executive order and later expanded in 2021 with added funding from his ‘big, beautiful bill.’ The project, which aims to showcase the ‘American spirit of daring and defiance, excellence and adventure,’ is set to include statues of historical and contemporary figures, such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Kobe Bryant, as well as emerging figures like Charlie Kirk. The project has faced criticism from Democrats, who argue that it reflects a biased portrayal of American history and its most celebrated figures.
The inclusion of Kirk in the National Garden represents the latest effort to elevate his legacy following his assassination. This development has sparked further political tensions, with Senate Democrats accusing Trump of ‘exploiting’ Kirk’s death to further his political agenda. Meanwhile, supporters argue that the decision reflects the growing recognition of Kirk’s influence in promoting conservative values and shaping American culture. As the statue proposal moves forward, it will undoubtedly remain a focal point of the ongoing political debate over free speech, political engagement, and the role of monuments in American history.
Despite the controversy surrounding the National Garden of Heroes, the project continues to receive federal funding and is set for completion by July 2026, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding. The statue of Charlie Kirk, should it be approved, will stand near Mount Rushmore, a location that symbolizes the country’s history and its most celebrated figures, further emphasizing the project’s significance in American cultural and political landscape.