Vice President JD Vance guest-hosted on Monday, “The Charlie Kirk Show” as a touching tribute to the conservative firebrand. This was the first time the show has aired since Kirk’s terrible death on September 9. Vance spoke from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is part of the White House complex. He paid tribute to his “good friend” and, in a big break from modern political custom, read a piece from the Nicene Creed, which is a basic statement of Christian faith.
Vance, a former senator from Ohio, used the opportunity to highlight Kirk’s recent and strong support for Christianity. He then paraphrased and read parts of the Nicene Creed, a Christian confession of faith that was first written down in 325 AD.
Vance quoted from the creed, saying, “Now, the most important truth Charlie told is this: 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.” He went on, “For our sake, he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, died, was buried, and rose again on the third day.” The Vice President ended by saying, “Charlie believed, as I do, that all the truth he told came from that basic idea.”
People are talking about the choice to read a religious text from a government facility that is also the Vice President’s office. The First Amendment’s Establishment Clause says that church and state should be separate, although US politicians often talk about their faith. Former vice presidents like Mike Pence and Joe Biden have often used Christian scripture to structure their remarks when they were feeling inspired or when the country was in trouble. For example, Mike Pence quoted verses from Jeremiah 29:11, Joe Biden used Psalms and Corinthians, and Lyndon Johnson used Matthew 25 during the civil rights movement.
Vance’s public recital of a formal creed, on the other hand, is a more direct and formal confession of faith from the official seat of power than is usually seen. This makes it a significant event that brings attention to the ongoing discussion about the role of religion in American public life. Vance’s program was a very personal tribute to Kirk, whom he has called a close friend and a big influence on his political career.