Vance Honors Charlie Kirk by Hosting Special Broadcast of Kirk’s Show

Vance and high-profile guest speakers paid tribute to Kirk’s role in Trump’s victory and organizing of young conservatives.

Vice President JD Vance hosts a podcast episode of "The Charlie Kirk Show" following the assassination of the show's namesake, at the White House on Sept. 15, 2025. Doug Mills/Pool via Getty Images

WASHINGTON—Vice President JD Vance on Sept. 15 paid tribute to the life of Charlie Kirk, the conservative commentator who was assassinated on Sept. 10, as host of a special broadcast of “The Charlie Kirk Show.”

Vance delivered the two-hour broadcast from his ceremonial office at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington. Vance said that he was “filling in for somebody who cannot be filled in for ... the great Charlie Kirk,” and that Kirk, 31, was a “joyful warrior for our country.”

“Every single person in this building, we owe something to Charlie,” said Vance, referring to the White House and the Trump administration. “He loved America. He devoted himself tirelessly to making our country a better place.”

After delivering his own remarks, Vance invited onto the show several leading conservatives and senior members of the Trump administration to speak about Kirk’s impact on their lives. The speakers included commentator Tucker Carlson, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Playing a ‘Critical’ Role in Trump’s Election

Vance said that Kirk played a “critical part” in Donald Trump’s election to the presidency and his own election to the vice presidency for Trump’s second term. Kirk, and his organization, Turning Point USA (TPUSA), were deployed as field workers in support of the Trump campaign to knock on voters’ doors and identify supporters based on data.

“So much of our success over the last seven months was due to his efforts. His staffing, his support, his friendship ... Charlie was the smartest political operative I ever met,” Vance said. “[He was] creating that support network that won an election and staffed the current federal government.

“I owe so much to Charlie.”

Leading a Conservative Movement

Kirk co-founded TPUSA in 2012 to advocate for conservative values and politics among young people at high schools and college campuses. Today, the organization has 3,500 chapters across the United States and annual revenues of nearly $87 million, growth widely attributed to Kirk’s own reputation for engaging in public debates with people of different political views, which Vance praised.

“Everyone knew him as this fearless debater, this guy who would take the conservative message into hostile places and inspire younger generations to have courage,” Vance said. “When they were afraid to speak their minds, when they were afraid of what a professor would say, when they were afraid they would be shouted down by their peers, Charlie was there, showing them they could be courageous and could be bold.”

Videos of Kirk debating progressive and left-leaning college students, often in heated exchanges, gained millions of views on platforms such as YouTube and Rumble. “The Charlie Kirk Show,” offered on the “Real America’s Voice” streaming platform, was one of his methods of communicating his message.

“He didn’t just teach people how to speak. He didn’t teach people what to say. ... He created a whole social network for an entire generation of young people,” said Vance, referring to the many friendships, relationships, and marriages that Kirk and TPUSA’s community fostered. Kirk himself met his wife, Erika, through his organization.

Addressing Kirk’s Critics

At the conclusion of the broadcast, Vance took a moment to address Kirk’s critics and detractors, as well as those on social media who mocked or even celebrated his death. While the vast majority of Democratic elected officials and progressive commentators have condemned Kirk’s assassination, attention has been drawn to individuals on social media who have spoken in support of Kirk’s killing and of his alleged assassin, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Utah, who was recently arrested by police.

Vance said that a writer “lied about a dead man and, yet, ... an esteemed magazine published it,” referring to an article in The Nation about Kirk and his views that was published after his death. “Consider the level of propaganda at work,” Vance said. “Charlie was gunned down in broad daylight, and yet, well-funded institutions of the Left lied about what he said so as to justify his murder. ... This is soulless and evil.”

Many conservatives have called for consequences for those celebrating Kirk’s death. Many of those celebrating, by virtue of their exposure online, have been fired from their jobs and otherwise sanctioned by employers and educational institutions.

On the broadcast, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said, “With God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have at the DOJ, Homeland Security, and throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy these networks.”

Vance said: “I am desperate for our country to be united in condemnation of the actions and the ideas that killed my friend. I want it so badly, but I will tell you a difficult truth: We can only have it with people who acknowledge that political violence is unacceptable and when we work to dismantle the institutions that promote violence and terrorism in our own country.

“Our government will be working very hard to do exactly that in the months to come.”