In Trump's State Of Union Address, A Charlie And Erika Kirk Mention

Donald Trump, during his State of the Union address, paid tribute to Charlie Kirk - a conservative activist who was shot dead last year - and credited him and his wife, Erika Kirk, for "renewing religion" in the US. Calling Kirk a "great friend" and a "great guy", Trump said he was "martyred for his beliefs". LIVE UPDATES

"I'm very proud to say that during my time in office, both the first four years and, in particular, this last year, there has been a tremendous renewal in religion, faith, Christianity, and belief in God. This is especially true among young people, and a big part of that had to do with my great friend, Charlie Kirk, a great guy, great man. So, last year, Charlie was violently murdered by an assassin and martyred, really martyred for his beliefs," he said.

Charlie Kirk's wife, Erika Kirk, was present at the event. She was seen sobbing during her husband's mention.

Trump, in his address, thanked Erika Kirk.

"His wonderful wife, Erica, is with us tonight. Erica, please stand. Thank you, Erica. You do a lot," he said.

"In Charlie's memory, we must all come together to reaffirm that America is one nation under God, and we must totally reject political violence of any kind. We love religion, and we love bringing it back, and it's coming back at levels that nobody actually thought possible. It's really a beautiful thing to see," the Republican leader added.

Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot dead at a Utah college event in September last year. A month after his death, Trump posthumously awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, hailing the young activist as a "martyr for truth and freedom."