Vice President JD Vance is set to host a special edition of “The Charlie Kirk Show” on Monday evening as a tribute to the conservative activist who tragically lost his life at a university event last week at the age of 31.
In a Sunday night announcement on X, Vance expressed that hosting the show would be both an honor and a chance to “pay tribute to my friend.” The show is scheduled to be posted at 12 p.m. ET.
Vance has previously acknowledged Kirk as a significant figure in the MAGA movement, attributing his rise to vice president and his introduction to President Donald Trump to Kirk’s influence.
Vance and his wife Usha were close to Kirk and accompanied his casket on a flight to Phoenix, Arizona, last Thursday, a day after the shooting.
Turning Point USA, a prominent political group focused on youth and founded by Kirk, will organize a large-scale memorial service for him at State Farm Stadium in nearby Glendale on September 21.
On Friday, authorities arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson from Utah, suspecting him in the murder of Kirk during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
He faces charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice.
Members of the Trump ministration and Congress spoke at a prayer vigil held for Kirk at the Kennedy Center on Sunday night.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said that Kirk’s death cast a “dark shadow” over Capitol Hill, calling his legacy “immeasurable.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted Kirk’s and Turning Point’s roles in energizing Trump’s victory in the 2024 election and stated on behalf of the president that he had “loved” Kirk.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called Kirk his “spiritual brother” and said that the two bonded over their opposition to stay-at-home regulations during the Covid pandemic.
Referring to Kirk’s alleged killer, Kari Lake told the event that colleges had become “indoctrination camps” thanks to the “most horrific brainwashing campaign in the history of mankind.”
Some of the speakers became emotional while remembering Kirk, specifically Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ). Both told personal stories about time spent with Kirk and offered prayers for his family.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, vowed on Friday to continue her late husband’s mission. “If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea,” she said in a video. “You have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world.”
