On Monday, during a special episode of Charlie Kirk’s show honoring the slain activist, Vice President JD Vance said plainly what others had only implied.
“If it weren’t for Charlie Kirk, I would not be vice president of the United States,” Vance said.
It was a surprising admission, but he let it linger. Then he filled in the picture: the rallies, the grassroots machine, the restless energy Kirk harnessed and deployed.
“I thought about that a lot in the last few days,” Vance went on. “Charlie was maybe the most important person in both getting us across the finish line but actually getting me the nomination to begin with — it was his grassroots army.”
Vance paused, acknowledging that President Trump had made the final call. But, he insisted, it was never just one man’s decision.
“Obviously, the president makes the final determination, but it takes a team,” Vance said. “And Charlie was such an incredibly important part of that team. It’s one of the reasons why I feel so indebted to him.”
There was no soaring rhetoric, no campaign bluster. Only a moment of candor: the vice president, now in power, tracing his rise back to a young activist whose work outlived him.
Watch the clip below:
Vice President Vance pays tribute to Charlie Kirk on The Charlie Kirk Show:
“Every single person in this building, we owe something to Charlie. He was a joyful warrior for our country. He loved America. He devoted himself tirelessly to making our country a better place.” pic.twitter.com/L5LMXSMdfq
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) September 15, 2025
