US Politics
JD Vance to host ‘The Charlie Kirk Show’ in tribute to former friend
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Read more
JD Vance will host ‘The Charlie Kirk Show’ from the White House Monday to pay tribute to the conservative commentator shot dead last week.
The vice president is a long-term friend and ally of Kirk, describing him as one of his most committed advocates and someone who supported his push to become Donald Trump’s running mate.
The show will be aired at 12 p. m. ET on X and Rumble, less than one week after Kirk was shot dead during a college campus visit in Utah. Suspect Tyler Robinson is being held in custody as authorities continue to investigate a potential motive.
open image in gallery
Vance learned that Kirk had been shot over text while he was in a meeting in the West Wing. Messages were shared in groups that included Kirk, with many letting him know they were praying for him.
“God didn’t answer those prayers, and that’s OK,” Vance wrote in a letter published after his death. “He had other plans. 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.”
The show follows a weekend of memorials for Kirk around the U.S., with thousands of supporters gathering to pay respects to the right-wing commentator.
open image in gallery
Memorials to Kirk have been set up in Washington, D.C., Phoenix, Arizona, and Utah Valley University, with U.S. flags, flowers, and letters laid in tribute.
Turning Point USA, Kirk’s conservative organization, will hold a memorial for him September 21 at State Farm Stadium outside Phoenix.
Robinson, the suspect currently held in custody in connection with Kirk’s death, is said to not be cooperating with authorities as investigators work to establish a motive for the shooting, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said on Sunday.
“He is not cooperating, but all the people around him were cooperating, and I think that’s very important,” the Republican governor said.
Discussing the suspect’s potential motivation, Cox said on NBC’s Meet the Press: “There clearly was a leftist ideology,” citing interviews with Robinson’s relatives and acquaintances.
“Friends have confirmed that there was kind of that deep, dark internet, the Reddit culture, and these other dark places of the internet where this person was going deep.”
