Vice President JD Vance is sitting in Monday as guest host of “The Charlie Kirk Show” to honor his late friend and conservative stalwart, starting at noon ET.
Kirk, 31, was assassinated by a rooftop gunman last Wednesday at Utah Valley University. The suspect is currently in custody after being turned in by his father, but is not cooperating with investigators, according to Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox.
Vance’s connection to Kirk was both political and deeply personal since becoming friends in 2017.
Over the years, Kirk not only encouraged Vance’s rise in the conservative movement but played significant roles in making it possible. He introduced him to key donors, campaign strategists, and even Donald Trump Jr., helping to build the network behind Vance’s Senate run and later his VP campaign.
Vance reacted immediately to Kirk’s assassination. He canceled previous commitments, including participation in the 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York, to travel with his wife, second lady Usha Vance, to Utah to meet with Kirk’s family and accompany the remains on Air Force Two.
Vance helped carry the casket with military personnel, an image that has already become a powerful symbol for many.
“I want to thank my husband’s dear friend, Vice President Vance, and his phenomenal wife, Usha, for their love and support,” widow Erika Kirk said in a Friday night address that aired live on Newsmax and the Newsmax2 streaming platform.
The emotional but defiant and resolute widow vowed to keep Turning Point USA, the conservative student action group founded by her late husband, going.
“The evildoers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done,” she said in her address. “They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith, and of God’s merciful love.
“They should all know this: If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea. You have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world.
“You have no idea. You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”
Kirk’s movement will become stronger than ever, she vowed.
“To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die,” she continued. “It won’t. I refuse to let that happen. It will not die. All of us will refuse to let that happen.
“No one will ever forget my husband’s name, and I will make sure of it. It will become stronger, bolder, louder, and greater than ever. My husband’s mission will not end. Not even for a moment.”
In a lengthy X post, Vance described Kirk as “a true friend. The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him.”
“Charlie genuinely believed in and loved Jesus Christ,” Vance wrote. “He had a profound faith. We used to argue about Catholicism and Protestantism and who was right about minor doctrinal questions. Because he loved God, he wanted to understand him.
“Someone else pointed out that Charlie died doing what he loved: discussing ideas. He would go into these hostile crowds and answer their questions. If it was a friendly crowd, and a progressive asked a question to jeers from the audience, he’d encourage his fans to calm down and let everyone speak. He exemplified a foundational virtue of our Republic: the willingness to speak openly and debate ideas.”
TPUSA posted vow to keep Kirk’s legacy alive with a message on its website: “THE FIGHT CONTINUES”:
“Charlie Kirk poured his life into building a movement rooted in faith, freedom, and love of country. He believed America’s future depended on raising up a generation who would NEVER SURRENDER.
“That vision is alive and stronger than ever. Prayers are rising, support is pouring in, millions of students are rallying, volunteers are flooding in, and vigils are filling churches and schools across the nation. The fire Charlie lit is burning brighter than ever.
“Now the responsibility is ours. We will honor his legacy by pressing forward—not slowing down, not surrendering. This is not a time to preserve what was built. This is the time to fight harder, grow faster, and unleash the true power of the grassroots machine Charlie created.
“We will make Charlie proud. We will defend America’s future. And we will not stop until freedom prevails.”
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