Vice President J.D. Vance commemorated Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s life and legacy on Monday while guest-hosting the late activist’s podcast, “The Charlie Kirk Show.”
Vance hosted Kirk’s show in his late friend’s honor and described the first time that he met his widow, Erika, following the tragic assassination. During his meeting with Erika, the vice president became motivated to be “the very best” husband and father he can possibly be and to ensure that Kirk’s movement lives on for generations.
“She said that she loved him so much. And I said, Erika, he loved you so much. He died way too young, but he died a happy man because of you, because of the home and the life that you guys had built together … [Erika] said something to me that I will never forget. My wife was there, it was just me and my wife on my side and a lot of people from the Turning Point family, a lot of people from Charlie’s family,” Vance said. “And she said to me that Charlie never raised his voice, that he never cussed at her, he was never cross or mean-spirited to her. And look, I’m a husband, I’m proud of being a husband, I think that on the great balance of things, that I’m a pretty good husband. But I can never say that I was never unpleasant with my wife. I can never say that I never raised my voice to my wife. Like most husbands, even the good ones, we’re sometimes imperfect, and I took from that moment that I needed to be a better husband, that I needed to be a better father.”
“Because of all these moments that I’ve shared, the books I’ve read to my kids, going up to their bedroom and kissing them and hugging them before bed, I just realize that all of these moments that I get to have, Charlie is not able to have them anymore. And Charlie’s kids and his beautiful wife are not able to have them anymore, and maybe the best way that I can contribute and the best way that I can honor my dear friend is to be the best husband that I can be. To be the kind of husband to my wife that he was to his,” Vance continued.
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Kirk and Erika tied the knot in May 2021 and shared two children together, ages three and one.
Vance helped carry Kirk’s casket onto Air Force Two on Thursday en route to Arizona. Footage showed second lady Usha Vance holding Erika’s hand as they exited Air Force Two alongside Kirk’s casket.
“It’s important, and Erika asked me this, to make sure that his movement, the movement that Charlie started, has to keep going,” Vance continued. “We have to build upon it, we have to add to it. We have to make sure that the next generation of young people feels confident and courageous to speak their mind and to speak the truth.”
Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA in 2012, traveled to college campuses across the U.S. to debate students and influence young people to become more politically active and more courageous to express their conservative views in unfriendly spaces. He often spoke in support of conservative policies, President Donald Trump’s agenda, and about his Christian faith.
The Turning Point USA founder said during a June 29 appearance on “The Iced Coffee Hour” podcast that he wanted to be remembered for “courage for [his] faith.”
“That would be the most important thing; the most important thing is my faith,” Kirk said.
Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, aligned himself with “leftist ideology” and had become increasingly more political and hateful in recent years, authorities said. FBI Director Kash Patel said on Monday that Robinson reportedly told an individual over text message that he intended to kill Kirk because of his “hatred” for his views.
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