Vice President J.D. Vance made good on his promise to fill in on Charlie Kirk’s radio program, appearing Monday afternoon live from the White House to take up the mantle left by his friend.
The 41-year-old Vance began the program by admitting Kirk “cannot be filled in for” but that he would “try to do my best.” He hosted the one-hour “Charlie Kirk Show” for the duration of its nationally syndicated broadcast.
Kirk’s show, and its podcast on Rumble, was one of the most widely watched news broadcasts in conservative media. It elevated the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA to the national stage, where he frequently hosted some of the right’s most influential voices, including President Donald Trump.
Kirk’s body was flown home from Utah on Friday aboard Air Force Two, where Vance traveled alongside his late friend. The vice president admitted it was a difficult and emotional journey for him.
“The last several days have been extremely hard for our country, hard for me, hard for my family, hard for the countless people in this building who knew and loved Charlie Kirk, and of course, they’ve been hardest most of all for his darling wife Erika and their two beautiful children,” Vance said.
“Every single person in this building, we owe something to Charlie. He was a joyful warrior for our country. He loved America, and he devoted himself tirelessly to making our country a better place. He was a critical part to getting Donald Trump elected as president and getting me elected as vice president,” he continued. “So much of our success over the past seven months is due to his work.”
The assassination of Kirk was a devastating blow to the young conservatives he influenced and the Republican Party he reshaped.
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Hundreds lined up on Sunday to attend Kirk’s memorial service at the Kennedy Center, where a prayer vigil was organized to celebrate his life. Top speakers included U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
On Monday, President Trump confirmed he would be attending Kirk’s funeral and said his administration is looking at whether to revoke the visas of foreign nationals who cheered Kirk’s murder.
“We haven’t [started revoking visas], but we are looking at names,” Trump said. “We don’t like that. That’s not right.”
He added, “We wouldn’t celebrate if something happened on their side. And we don’t. These are sick people. These are really deranged people.”
The funeral is slated for next week in Arizona. A memorial service for Kirk will be held on September 21 in Glendale, Arizona, at State Farm Stadium.
