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Vice President JD Vance announced late Sunday that he will step in as guest host of “The Charlie Kirk Show” on Monday, paying tribute to his late friend, who was assassinated last week.
“Tomorrow, I will have the honor of hosting the Charlie Kirk Show. Please join me as I pay tribute to my friend. 12:00PM ET,” Vance wrote on X.
Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative leader and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University. Authorities said the suspect is now in custody.
The connection between Vance and Kirk was both political and personal. The two became close in 2017 after Vance appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program. Kirk reached out after the segment to compliment Vance’s remarks, sparking what Vance called “a friendship that lasted until today,” according to the Associated Press.
Over the years, Kirk supported Vance’s rise in conservative politics, introducing him to donors, campaign strategists and Donald Trump Jr. Those relationships served an important role in Vance’s Senate run and eventual vice-presidential campaign.
Following Kirk’s assassination, Vance canceled prior commitments, including his participation in the 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York, to fly to Utah with his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, and meet with Kirk’s family.
When Kirk’s casket was transported to Arizona, Usha Vance accompanied Erika Kirk as they stepped off Air Force Two together. JD Vance also joined military personnel in carrying the casket, a moment widely shared as a symbol of their friendship and his respect.
In his message on X, Vance remembered Kirk as “a true friend. The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him.”
The tribute broadcast is scheduled for Monday at noon Eastern Time.
President Donald Trump previously said on Thursday that he plans to attend Kirk’s funeral. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, he confirmed that he had spoken with Kirk’s widow, Erika, who is “absolutely devastated” at the loss of her husband.
“They’ve asked me to go, and I think have an obligation to be there,” Trump said.
Kirk, 31, died in the hospital on Wednesday after being shot in the neck during a student event at Utah Valley University in Orem. He leaves behind his wife and two children. Vice President JD Vance, a close friend of Kirk’s, accompanied the casket from Utah to Arizona aboard Air Force Two late Thursday.
