United States Vice President J.D. Vance hosted The Charlie Kirk Show on Monday to honor his friend and political ally following Kirk’s assassination on September 10.
Vance opened the show by delivering an emotional address about Kirk, stating that Kirk was a “critical part of getting Donald Trump elected as President” and that a large portion of their success has been “due to his efforts, his staffing, his support, and his friendship.”
“Everyone knew him as this fearless debater, this guy who would take the conservative message into hostile places and inspire younger generations to have courage. One thing that’s hit a lot of those young Americans over the last week was how Charlie was there for them when others were not,” Vance added.
“When they were afraid to speak their minds, when they were afraid of what a professor would say, when they were afraid that they would be shouted down by their peers, Charlie was there, showing them that they could be courageous and that they could be bold.”
Vance proceeded to call Kirk a “visionary” who “brought together people” across the country through open discussions.
“I know people who met their husband, who met their wife, who met the best man at their wedding at a TP USA event. Because, as you guys all know, it’s not just about speaking our mind, it’s about making friends along the way and creating that support network that won an election and that staffed the current federal government.”
Vance then welcomed a variety of guests on the show, including White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr., Political Commentator Tucker Carlson, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Leavitt joined the show and discussed her relationship with Kirk through Turning Point U.S.A., explaining how the influence of both Kirk and Turning Point U.S.A. helped to shape many of her political beliefs.
“So, just by watching Charlie from a distance was so inspiring to me as a young conservative woman. And then I got to know him personally when I had decided to run for Congress, and he was a tremendous supporter and friend,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt later applauded Kirk’s ability to communicate with people of every political belief and said that she learned “so many things” from his style of communication.
“But, I think most of all, standing firm in your convictions and picking a fight, especially when you know you have the facts in the truth on your side, but doing it with a smile, and that’s something Charlie did so brilliantly and well.”
This sentiment was common among those who made appearances on the show, with Carlson discussing how important Kirk’s style of discussion was for those looking to first step into politics.
“The main thing that I learned from him was how to disagree with people on topics that you take very seriously, and that they take very seriously, without hating them, without feeling bitterness,” Carlson said.
Carlson said that there is a “very real” divide amongst the Republican Party regarding certain topics, but Kirk never let this divide create a negative discourse and disrupt his ability to speak and learn about different problems.
“But he was not mad at the people who disagreed with him. He liked them as people. He agreed with them on some things. And he would always say that.”
Vance later shared an emotional story about a discussion that he had with his wife, Usha, who spoke with Kirk’s wife, Erika, just days after the assassination took place.
“My wife told me: ‘She asked me for advice. Erika asked me for advice on how she should tell her children that their father had been murdered.’ She asked my wife how to tell her beautiful kids that their father, and my very dear friend, is no longer with us. And as she was doing it, there were people dancing on that father’s grave,” said Vance.
The show ended with strong words from the Vice President on how to move forward in the wake of this tragedy, with Vance describing the “pyramid” of people who have helped to shape political movements.
“Not every member of that pyramid would commit a murder. In fact, over 99%, I’m sure, would not. But by celebrating that murder, apologizing for it, and emphasizing not Charlie’s innocence, but the fact that he said things some didn’t like, even to the point of lying about what he actually said, many of these people are creating an environment where things like this are inevitably going to happen.”
Vance proceeded to call out those who have continued to celebrate this murder, pointing to the people who have generated false rumors and journalistic articles about Kirk’s life.
“There is no unity with the people who celebrate Charlie Kirk’s assassination. And there is no unity with the people who fund these articles, who pay the salaries of these terrorist sympathizers, who argue that Charlie Kirk, a loving husband and father, deserved a shot to the neck because he spoke words with which they disagree.”
Finally, Vance said that the best way to both honor Kirk and punish his killer is to continue the mission that he began.
“We owe it to our friend to ensure that his killer is not just prosecuted but punished, and the worst punishment is not the death penalty, but the knowledge that Charlie’s mission continues after he’s gone.”