A banner featuring the image of the late Charlie Kirk has been hung outside the Department of Education headquarters.
The image of the Turning Point USA founder hangs alongside those honoring Catharine Beecher and Booker T. Washington as the nation gets set to celebrate its 250th birthday.
“Empowering our States to tell the Stories of our Heroes in American Education,” a separate banner reads outside of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education building in Washington, D.C..
Walking along the Mall. First time I’ve seen the Charlie Kirk banner on the Department of Education. pic.twitter.com/m1j0iJMwfC
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) March 1, 2026
“We are proud to honor visionary leaders whose contributions have shaped the future of education for generations. Their work reflects Benjamin Franklin’s timeless belief that ‘an investment in knowledge pays the best interest,’” Savannah Newhouse, press secretary for the department, told The Hill in a statement.
“As our country marks a historic 250th milestone, this moment invites us all to join in the pursuit of fostering educational opportunity that empowers every learner to rise, contribute, and help shape a brighter future for generations yet to come,” she said.
New banners hang on the Department of Education honoring famous Americans like Benjamin Franklin, MLK, and Charlie Kirk. pic.twitter.com/0nYV69CQFh
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) March 1, 2026
The image of Kirk, who was assassinated during an event in Utah last September, sparked unsurprising outrage from the left on social media, with many whining abouta partisan message and the use of taxpayer dollars.
Others noted Kirk’s influence on the younger generation, as he often spoke on college campuses across the country.
Being used to display a banner of Charlie Kirk is the first good use of this building since it was built https://t.co/Uvs09ZZEGW
— Joel Berry (@JoelWBerry) March 2, 2026
“Kirk saw academia as the source of a plethora of problems in American society. His goal was to make college campuses more friendly to conservative students by making conservative ideas like free market economics and traditional gender roles more popular,” researcher and scholar Daniel Ruggles said in an interview shortly after the conservative’s death.
“Education is the bulk of Turning Point’s work, a continuation of what has historically also been the most important cultural issue on the right since the 1960s,” he added.
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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