Vice President JD Vance hosted an episode of The Charlie Kirk Show from the White House on Monday, as a tribute to his late friend and political ally, conservative activist and TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on Sept. 10, during a campus event in Utah.
The vice president used the platform to call out the "incredibly destructive movement of left-wing extremism" for Kirk's death, claiming it was a key factor in the assassination. He was joined by top administration figures, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and popular commentator and journalist Tucker Carlson, who also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of exploiting the tragedy.
Vance, who described Kirk as "the smartest political operative I ever met" and a "joyful warrior for our country," hosted the podcast to honor his friend and pledged to dismantle left-wing extremism. He said that "this is not a both sides problem" and claimed that "most of the lunatics in American politics today are proud members of the far left," citing polling data from YouGov.
The vice president canceled a planned trip to the 9/11 (2001 terrorist attack on the Wall Trade Center) memorial to accompany Kirk's body from Utah to Arizona on Air Force Two, a gesture he described as an honor.
"There is NO UNITY with people who scream at children over their parents' politics," Vance said. "There is NO UNITY with someone who LIES about what Charlie Kirk said in order to excuse his murder. There is NO UNITY with someone who HARASSES an innocent family the day after the father of that family lost a dear friend. There is NO UNITY with the people who celebrate Charlie Kirk's assassination."
Miller echoed Vance's rhetoric, vowing to use "every resource we have at the Department of Justice, Homeland Security and throughout this government" to "identify, disrupt, dismantle and destroy" what he termed "terrorist networks" linked to left-wing extremism. The White House Deputy Chief of Staff described the movement as a "vast domestic terror movement" and pledged to target non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that support violence, not free speech.
In his comments on the show, Carlson accused Netanyahu of exploiting the assassination of Charlie Kirk for political gain. The Israeli rime minister has faced backlash online for his comments following Kirk's assassination. He suggested that the deceased TPUSA founder supported the cause of the Israeli government.
Carlson and conservative commentator Candace Owens -- both close friends of Kirk -- revealed the TPUSA founder had a heated meeting over Israeli influence in the U.S. with Netanyahu's pro-Israel Jewish allies including billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon. Kirk also reportedly declined an invitation to visit israel from Netanyahu.
"I don't think its helpful for people, particularly foreign heads of state, to jump in and say he lived for my cause or whatever," Carlson tol Vance. "That's disgusting actually...its also literally untrue."
Vance revealed that while Kirk expressed opposition to U.S. intervention in the 12-day Iran-Israel war, he ultimately supported Trump's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities.
Kirk, 31, was the co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA and a close ally of President Donald Trump. He played a significant role in the 2024 Republican campaign, advocating for JD Vance's selection as Trump's running mate and helping to staff the administration.
His assassination occurred during a public event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Washington, Utah, has been charged with murder. Utah Governor Spencer Cox has stated Robinson was "radicalized" and had a "leftist ideology."
