Vice President J.D. Vance published a lengthy remembrance on X Wednesday after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University, calling Kirk a man of "courage," "faith" and "profound loyalty." Vance said Kirk had been both a close personal friend and an influential figure in the conservative movement who helped shape the 2024 Trump campaign.
In his post, Vance recounted that Kirk was among the first people he contacted when he considered a Senate run in early 2021 and that Kirk helped connect him to campaign staff and to figures within the Trump orbit. "Charlie was one of the first people I called when I thought about running for senate in early 2021. We talked through everything, from the strategy to the fundraising to the grassroots of the movement he knew so well," Vance wrote. "He introduced me to some of the people who would run my campaign and also to Donald Trump Jr."
Vance credited Kirk with playing a central role in mobilizing young conservatives and said "so much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organize and convene." He also described Kirk as pivotal to discussions that influenced President Trump’s decision-making in selecting a running mate in 2024, attributing that assessment to his own conversations with Kirk.
Vance portrayed Kirk as a devoted family man and person of faith. He referred to Kirk as a "father-of-two" and recalled theological conversations the two shared: "Charlie genuinely believed in and loved Jesus Christ. 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."
Vance said he learned that Kirk had been shot while he was in a meeting in the West Wing and that group chats in the meeting began filling with messages saying people were praying for him. "That’s how I learned the news that my friend had been shot," Vance wrote. He added that he spoke with President Trump in the Oval Office the same day; Vance quoted the president as saying, "I know he was a very good friend of yours," and noted that Trump observed Kirk's devotion to his family.
Describing Kirk as "a true friend" who could be trusted with confidences, Vance recounted personal memories and closed his remembrance with the line, "You ran a good race, my friend. We've got it from here." He also invoked Kirk's own words from a resurfaced video in which Kirk said he wanted to be remembered "for courage, for my faith."
Charlie Kirk founded Turning Point USA, a conservative advocacy organization aimed at mobilizing young people. He rose to prominence through college-focused activism and national conservative events, and he remained a polarizing and influential voice within right-leaning political circles. Vance's public tribute emphasized Kirk's organizational role and his impact on the 2024 campaign, as well as their long personal relationship that evolved from early skepticism about Donald Trump in 2016 to close collaboration in later years.
News reports first surfaced Wednesday afternoon about the shooting at Utah Valley University. Authorities have released limited details publicly about the incident. Vance's post focused on Kirk's personal qualities and the imprint he left on friends, family and the conservative movement, and concluded with a promise to carry forward the work Vance says Kirk helped enable.
