'A good man': JD Vance honors 'true friend' Charlie Kirk with heartfelt tribute after fatal shooting

WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President JD Vance paid a heartfelt tribute to Charlie Kirk, calling him a “true friend” and a man of unwavering faith, conviction, and loyalty.

Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University, sparking grief across the nation.

Vance, visibly shaken by the shocking news of Kirk’s death, remembered their close bond and praised the Turning Point USA co-founder as a powerful voice in the conservative movement.

JD Vance reflects on years-long friendship with Charlie Kirk

In a lengthy tribute shared on X, JD Vance reflected on his years-long friendship with Charlie Kirk, tracing it back to a simple act of kindness in 2017.

Vance recalled that after one of his early appearances on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight', he received a message from a name he barely recognized, Charlie Kirk.

“[He] told me I did a great job. It was Charlie Kirk, and that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today,” Vance wrote.

He praised Kirk’s intellectual curiosity and humility, describing him as a man who was “fascinated by ideas and always willing to learn and grow.”

Vance noted that both he and Kirk were initially skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016, but eventually recognized Trump as “the only figure capable of moving American politics away from the globalism that had dominated for our entire lives.”

Vance shared how Kirk never gloated when proven right. “With Charlie, the attitude was never ‘I told you so,’ but always, ‘Welcome,’” he wrote, recalling how Kirk valued open-mindedness and honest dialogue.

The vice president also described Kirk’s pivotal role in his own political journey. “Charlie was one of the first people I called when I thought about running for senate in early 2021. I was interested but skeptical there was a pathway. We talked through everything, from the strategy to the fundraising to the grassroots of the movement he knew so well.”

Vance credited Kirk with introducing him to key figures in his campaign. He claimed, "He introduced me to some of the people who would run my campaign and also to Donald Trump Jr. Like his dad, he's misunderstood. He's extremely smart, and very much on our wavelength. Don took a call from me because Charlie asked him too."

He recollected, "Long before I ever committed (even in my mind) to running, Charlie had me speak to his donors at a TPUSA event. He walked me around the room and introduced me. He gave me honest feedback on my remarks."

He expressed, "He had no reason to do this, no expectation that I'd go anywhere. I was polling, at that point, well below 5 percent. He did it because we were friends, and because he was a good man."

JD Vance says Charlie Kirk managed both his public role and private life admirably

JD Vance credited Charlie Kirk not only as a political ally but as a personal support system, especially during the pressures of life in the public eye following his nomination as Donald Trump’s running mate.

“When I became the VP nominee--something Charlie advocated for both in public and private,” Vance wrote in a moving tribute. “Charlie was constantly calling and texting, checking on our family and offering guidance and prayers. Some of our most successful events were organized not by the campaign, but by TPUSA."

Vance highlighted Kirk’s hands-on approach, crediting him and Turning Point USA for organizing some of the campaign’s most successful events. “He wasn't just a thinker, he was a doer, turning big ideas into bigger events with thousands of activists,” he said.

After each rally, Vance recalled, Kirk would always offer the same sincere gesture, “And after every event, he would give me a big hug, tell me he was praying for me, and ask me what he could do. 'You focus on Wisconsin,' he'd tell me. 'Arizona is in the bag.' And it was.”

Vance also spoke deeply about Kirk’s faith, describing him as a man grounded in his love for Jesus Christ. “Charlie genuinely believed in and loved Jesus Christ. He had a profound faith. We used to argue about Catholicism and Protestantism and who was right about minor doctrinal questions. Because he loved God, he wanted to understand him,” he shared.

Reflecting on Kirk’s final moments, Vance echoed a sentiment shared by others, “Someone else pointed out that Charlie died doing what he loved: discussing ideas. He would go into these hostile crowds and answer their questions. If it was a friendly crowd, and a progressive asked a question to jeers from the audience, he'd encourage his fans to calm down and let everyone speak.”

“He exemplified a foundational virtue of our Republic: the willingness to speak openly and debate ideas,” Vance wrote.

Beyond politics, Vance remembered Kirk as a devoted family man. “Charlie was so proud of Erika and the two kids. He was so happy to be a father. And he felt such gratitude for having found a woman of God with whom he could build a family."

JD Vance calls Charlie Kirk a 'true friend'

Vance honored Charlie Kirk by calling him a "true friend," someone who could be trusted with anything, no matter how personal or private.

“The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him,” Vance wrote.

He reflected on their deep bond that extended far beyond politics. “We celebrated weddings and babies, bust each other's chops and mourn for the loss of loved ones,” he said. "We talk about politics and policy and sports and life. These group chats include people at the very highest level of our government. They trusted him, loved him, and knew he'd always have their backs.”

Vance recounted the heartbreaking moment he learned about the shooting. “I was in a meeting in the West Wing when those group chats started lighting up with people telling Charlie they were praying for him,” he recalled. “And that's how I learned the news that my friend had been shot. I prayed a lot over the next hour, as first good news and then bad trickled in.”

"God didn't answer those prayers, and that's OK. He had other plans,” he wrote. “And now that Charlie is in heaven, I'll ask him to talk to big man directly on behalf of his family, his friends, and the country he loved so dearly.”

Vance ended his tribute with a final message to his late friend, “You ran a good race, my friend. We’ve got it from here.”