Vice President J.D. Vance on Thursday posted an emotional tribute to Charlie Kirk after the conservative activist was shot and killed while addressing students on a Utah college campus Wednesday afternoon. Kirk, 31, died at the scene; his attacker fled and remains at large as the FBI leads the investigation and President Donald Trump, Vance and other officials pledged that those responsible will be brought to justice. Vance said he plans to visit Kirk’s widow and children in Salt Lake City.
In a lengthy statement on X, Vance described a friendship that began with a direct message after a 2017 television appearance and grew into a political and personal bond that lasted until Kirk’s death. Vance said Kirk "was fascinated by ideas and always willing to learn and change his mind," and recounted Kirk’s involvement in introducing him to donors, volunteers and national figures when Vance contemplated, and later ran, for office.
Vance said Kirk helped organize Turning Point USA events and "turned big ideas into bigger events with thousands of activists," adding that many successful campaign gatherings were organized by those groups rather than the campaign himself. Vance recalled being introduced to Donald Trump Jr. at Kirk’s request and said Kirk was among the first people he called when he was considering a 2021 Senate run.
Describing Kirk’s personal faith and approach to debate, Vance wrote that Kirk "genuinely believed in and loved Jesus Christ" and that he often entered hostile crowds to discuss ideas. Vance said Kirk encouraged civility, noting that if progressive students were jeered during campus events, Kirk would tell his supporters to calm down and allow questions. "He exemplified a foundational virtue of our Republic: the willingness to speak openly and debate ideas," Vance wrote.
Vance also conveyed Kirk’s role in supporting his family and his campaign team. He said Kirk frequently checked on Vance’s children and offered guidance and prayers during the heightened security and attention that followed Vance’s rise to national office. "He was a great family man," Vance wrote, praising Kirk’s wife and two children and saying the activist was proud to be a father.
Vance described learning of the shooting while in a West Wing meeting and said he spent the subsequent hour praying as information came in. "God didn't answer those prayers, and that's OK," Vance wrote. He concluded his statement with a personal farewell: "You ran a good race, my friend. We've got it from here."
Authorities have said that the suspected shooter fled the campus after the attack and that the FBI was assisting local law enforcement in the investigation. Officials, including the president, publicly vowed to pursue justice for Kirk; specific investigative details and a motive have not been released.
Kirk, described in multiple accounts as a high-profile conservative organizer and a polarizing figure within the broader political landscape, had been a frequent campus presence and a close associate of prominent conservative operatives. Vance’s tribute highlights both Kirk’s influence in conservative organizing and his personal relationships with figures in the administration.
The investigation into the killing is ongoing. Vance’s office and the White House did not immediately release additional details about his planned visit to Kirk’s family. Local law enforcement and federal agents have asked anyone with information about the shooting or the suspect’s whereabouts to come forward.