Hosting Charlie Kirk show, VP Vance calls for faith, truth and unity

Vice President J.D. Vance hosted The Charlie Kirk show on Monday, encouraging every American to be bold in their faith and to defend truth, five days after Kirk was assassinated on a college campus.

“In this dark moment for our country, I think that’s the greatest lesson any of us can take from Charlie, is to have faith in the Lord, to be bold in how we glorify Him and to be bold in our pursuits, as Charlie was in his,” Vance said.

Vance, recording from his office in the White House, hosted several members of the Trump administration, Turning Point USA staff and various prominent friends of Kirk.

“Every single person in this building, we owe something to Charlie. He was a joyful warrior for our country,” Vance said. “He loved America. He devoted himself tirelessly to making our country a better place.”

Vance and other guests emphasized how Kirk’s faith shaped his conduct in public debate.

“Charlie understood both the compassion of the Bible but the honesty and truth-telling of the Bible,” said Taylor Budowich, White House deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel. “That is what I think has been missing in our political discourse, that you don’t have to be nasty. It can be compassionate, but you should tell the truth.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Kirk was an inspiration for her as a young conservative. She joined a chapter of Kirk’s Turning Point USA on her college campus and met him at a TPUSA conference.

Leavitt said Kirk taught her to “combat the lies with facts and to do it with a smile.” She said she prays before every press conference and will continue to be “outspoken in her faith” in honor of her friend.

“He would go to these campus reform events, and he would say to the crowd, ‘Those of you disagree with me, come to the front of the line,’” Leavitt said. “I find myself doing that in the briefing rooms: taking on the reporters whom I know very much disagree with me and with the President.”

Tucker Carlson told Vance how Kirk taught him how to disagree with people without bitterness.

“He never forgot there was a person behind the [opposing] views and that inspired me,” Carlson said. “And God commands that of us. That’s a real commandment, in my opinion, and he lived it.”

Kirk’s faith wasn’t just sincere; it encompassed everything he did, Carlson said.

“In his case, it informed every single part of his life, from his marriage, the way he treated his children, the way he treated his staff, to the way he approached disagreement, to the way he thought of other people, which was always primarily as people first,” he said. 

In fact, to honor Kirk, Vance declared he wants to be a better husband and father. 

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr. recalled how Kirk allied political opponents through conversation and open debate. 

“He thought conversation was the only thing that could heal our country,” Kennedy said. “He understood that the only thing that could bridge that gap was open debate, and that censorship was the enemy of that.” 

Kennedy said it was Kirk who helped bring him and Donald Trump together during the 2024 presidential campaign. Kennedy suspended his own campaign and endorsed  Trump at a Turning Point USA conference in Arizona, with literal fireworks, which were Kirk’s idea. 

“He understood what buttons needed to be pushed to move the ball across the goal line,” Kennedy said.  

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told Vance how Kirk was a “tactical assist to the campaign.” Vance said he would not be Vice President of the United States if it weren’t for Kirk’s efforts and alliances. 

“He had an army of good people who were motivated and passionate, and they delivered 110%, and I don’t know that Charlie gets enough credit for that,” Wiles said.   

Quoting Psalm 133, Vance said he craves the “precious ointment” of unity grounded in truth. 

“Now the most important truth Charlie told is this, that long ago, a man begotten, not made, came down from heaven and by the Holy Spirit, was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man for our sake. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered, died, and was buried and rose again on the third day,” Vance said, quoting the Nicene Creed. “Charlie believed, as I do, that all the truth he told flowed from that fundamental principle.” 

Vance condemned the celebration of Kirk’s death, saying no unity or civility can exist in a country where people promote political violence.  

“I’m desperate for our country to be united in condemnation of the actions and the ideas that killed my friend,” Vance said. “I promise you that we will explore every option to bring real unity to our country and stop those who would kill their fellow Americans because they don’t like what they say.” 

Vance spoke with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who said the last text Kirk sent him expressed the urgent need for a strategy against the organizations promoting such violence.  

“We are going to use every resource we have at the Department of Justice, Homeland Security and throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle and destroy these networks and make America safe again for the American people, it will happen, and we will do it in Charlie’s name,” Miller said.  

Vance said the work is the job of every American citizen. He said everyone must be involved and speak the truth with compassion, as Kirk did every day. 

“Saint Paul tells us, in the book of Ephesians, to put on the full armor of God. Let all of us put on that armor and commit ourselves to that cause for which Charlie gave his life, to rebuild a United States of America, and to do it by telling the truth.”