A touching and revealing account of former President Donald Trump’s reaction to the murder of political commentator Charlie Kirk has been shared by Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio). Vance narrated the moment he broke the devastating news to Trump, highlighting the profound impact Kirk’s death had on the famously verbose President.
Breaking the News in the Oval Office
Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was allegedly shot dead by Tyler Robinson on September 10 during an appearance at a campus event in Utah.
Speaking about the immediate aftermath, Vance described the emotional turmoil as he and Kirk’s team received updates:
“I looked at social media. I realised what had happened, and I’ll never forget the first 20 minutes or so, we were getting updates from Charlie’s team. We actually thought things were gonna go okay, or at least we had a glimmer of hope,” Vance said in the video, adding that learning about Kirk’s subsequent death was “one of the toughest moments of my life.”
Vance then recounted the solemn duty of informing President Trump:
“And I remember walking to the Oval Office and telling the President, and of course, you know, the President is a person who always has something to say. You know, he just, he has that ability, and that was one of the few times where the President, I’ve ever seen him, the only time I would say, where I’ve seen the President stunned,” Vance narrated.
Trump’s reaction, stripped of his usual exuberance, was a quiet, heartbreaking summation of their relationship:
“He just sat back in his chair and he was like: ‘Man, he fought hard for us, didn’t he?'”
The Close Bond Between Trump and Kirk
The profound reaction described by Vance underscores the close relationship between Trump and Kirk, which began after the 2016 election. Though initially a Ted Cruz supporter, Kirk evolved into one of Trump’s most loyal and influential conservative allies.
- Trusted Advisor: Kirk was credited by Trump with galvanizing and mobilizing the youth vote that played a significant role in his 2024 presidential election victory.
- Access: Kirk was a frequent visitor to the White House and was among the very few people who golfed with Trump at Mar-a-Lago just two days before the 2025 inauguration.
- High Praise: Trump had previously hailed Kirk as a “warrior of light” in 2018.
Following Kirk’s assassination, Trump vowed swift action, blaming the “radical left” for the murder and promising to hold all responsible parties accountable for the political violence, including organizations that fund and support such crimes. The FBI is reportedly investigating groups that may have ‘aided and abetted’ Tyler Robinson in the crime.