Trump appoints Kirk's widow to Air Force Academy board

US President Donald Trump has nominated Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, to the US Air Force Academy Board of Visitors. Her appointment was reported by US media.

The Board of Visitors is an advisory body that makes recommendations to the president and the secretary of defence on the operation of the military aviation academy. It deals with issues such as teaching, discipline, morale and the overall running of the school.

Charlie Kirk himself previously served on the board, and its members paid tribute to him at their December meeting. They highlighted his support for the academy and his efforts to reach out to the next generation of soldiers.

Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the US, and called him a martyr fighting for truth and freedom. The award was accepted by his wife.

Charlie Kirk was the co-founder and director of the conservative organisation Turning Point USA and one of Trump’s prominent allies. He died on September 10 last year after being shot during a speech on a university campus in Utah.

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