Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet has shared a video of JD Vance revealing how US President Donald Trump reacted when he learned about Charlie Kirk’s murder. The 31-year-old was allegedly shot dead by Tyler Robinson on September 10 during an appearance at a campus event in Utah.
“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 narrated how he broke the news of Kirk’s death to 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 said.
He added, “He just sat back in his chair and he was like: 'Man, he fought hard for us, didn't he?'"
Donald Trump and Charlie Kirk’s bond
Kirk shared a very close relationship with Trump since the 2016 election. Originally a Ted Cruz supporter, he later went on to become one of Trump’s most loyal allies.
Kirk was hailed by the commander-in-chief as a “warrior of light” in 2018, the Chicago Tribune reported. He was one of very few people who golfed with Trump at Mar-a-Lago two days before the 2025 inauguration, according to The New York Times.
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Kirk was a frequent visitor to the White House, and was credited by Trump with galvanizing and mobilizing the youth vote that helped Trump win the 2024 presidential election. Kirk was also a trusted friend and adviser to Trump and his family.
After Kirk’s assassination, Trump vowed to hold accountable all those who are responsible for the crime. “My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who bring order to our country,” he said, blaming the “radical left” for the murder.