Sen. Bill Cassidy backs effort to include Charlie Kirk in National Garden of American Heroes

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said he supports a group of senators who asked President Trump to include Charlie Kirk in the proposed National Garden of American Heroes, arguing that Kirk's work drew young people into civic life.

On the broadcast, moderator Anna read from a letter to the president that the senators sent: "The inclusion of Mr. Kirk in the National Garden would not only honor his personal achievements, but would also underscore the vital role that civic engagement plays in our national heritage." Cassidy told the program he backed the idea because of Kirk's appeal to young audiences and his ability to bring people into the political process "in a constructive civil way as opposed to a violent angry way."

The National Garden of American Heroes is described in the program as slated to open next July in South Dakota near Mount Rushmore; Cassidy said a sculpture of Kirk would join figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Albert Einstein and Abraham Lincoln if approved. The transcript did not identify which senators signed the letter read on air; the program also did not specify any formal next steps or timelines beyond the garden's planned opening.

Cassidy framed the request as recognition of civic engagement rather than a partisan act. He said the decision ultimately rests with the president and the garden's approval process, and the program offered no additional evidence or documentation of who specifically authored the letter beyond Anna's reading of its text.

The exchange closed without a policy action announced on air; if the White House approves the request, a statue would be placed when the National Garden opens.