By Juhi Marzia

Copyright sportskeeda

US Vice President JD Vance was seen helping carry conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s casket onto Air Force Two to make the short trip from Salt Lake City to Kirk’s home state of Arizona for his funeral rites a day after his death. Vance shared a close friendship with Kirk and had called the latter a “true friend” in his tribute post on X.Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in the neck during an event at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, as he addressed a crowd of approximately 3000 people. A graphic video of the shooting showed Kirk’s body jerking as the bullet hit his neck, with blood gushing from the wound. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital and was announced dead hours later.On September 11, 2025, his body was transported to Phoenix, Arizona, on board Air Force Two, which also carried JD Vance, his wife, Usha Vance, and Kirk’s widow, Erika. After the flight landed in Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona, Erika and Usha were seen walking out together, with Erika’s hand around Usha’s waist.As they climbed down the steps, Usha was seen holding Erika’s hand, with Vance following behind. Both women were dressed in black clothing and wore dark sunglasses.Charlie Kirk’s funeral is expected to be held in Phoenix, Arizona. However, his family has not revealed any details about the service at the time of this article. In a recent interview at the White House, Donald Trump said that he will be in attendance, adding that he had an “obligation” to do so.“I believe it’s in Arizona, and they’ve asked me to go and I think I have an obligation to do that. I hear next weekend,” Trump said.JD Vance said Charlie Kirk introduced him to Donald Trump’s sonOn September 10, 2025, US Vice President JD Vance took to X to post a heartfelt tribute to Charlie Kirk following his death. The VP said that Kirk messaged him on X about his appearance on Tucker Carlson’s Fox show in 2017, adding that “that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today.”Furthermore, he added that Charlie Kirk was one of the first people he reached out to when he considered running for Senate in 2021, which eventually led to Kirk introducing him to Donald Trump Jr.”Charlie was one of the first people I called when I thought about running for senate in early 2021. I was interested but skeptical there was a pathway. We talked through everything, from the strategy to the fundraising to the grassroots of the movement he knew so well,” Vance wrote.”He introduced me to some of the people who would run my campaign and also to Donald Trump Jr. “Like his dad, he’s misunderstood. He’s extremely smart, and very much on our wavelength.” Don took a call from me because Charlie asked him too,” he continued.JD Vance and Charlie Kirk at the Turning Point Inaugural-Eve Ball Held In Washington, D.C. (Image via Getty Images)Vance added that Kirk supported him “both in public and private” when he became the VP nominee and reached out to check in on him and his family when they dealt with “the effects” of running for the position.The Vice President also stated Kirk “died doing what he loved,” which was discussing ideas and debating. Calling Kirk a “great family man” and a “true friend,” Vance elaborated on his friendship with the conservative activist, writing:”Charlie Kirk was a true friend. The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him. I am on more than a few group chats with Charlie and people he introduced me to over the years. We celebrate weddings and babies, bust each other’s chops, and mourn the loss of loved ones. We talk about politics and policy and sports and life.”Vance recalled where he had been when he heard about Charlie Kirk’s shooting, saying that he was in a meeting in the West Wing of the White House when he received the news. He added that he prayed for Kirk for the next hour, till he received word about his death. Vance ended his eulogy with a message to Kirk, writing:”You ran a good race, my friend. We’ve got it from here.”JD Vance @JDVanceLINKA while ago, probably in 2017, I appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox show to talk about God knows what. Afterwards a name I barely knew sent me a DM on twitter and told me I did a great job. It was Charlie Kirk, and that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today. Charlie was fascinated by ideas and always willing to learn and change his mind. Like me, he was skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016. Like me, he came to see President Trump as the only figure capable of moving American politics away from the globalism that had dominated for our entire lives. When others were right, he learned from them. When he was right–as he usually was–he was generous. With Charlie, the attitude was never, “I told you so.” But: “welcome.” Charlie was one of the first people I called when I thought about running for senate in early 2021. I was interested but skeptical there was a pathway. We talked through everything, from the strategy to the fundraising to the grassroots of the movement he knew so well. He introduced me to some of the people who would run my campaign and also to Donald Trump Jr. “Like his dad, he’s misunderstood. He’s extremely smart, and very much on our wavelength.” Don took a call from me because Charlie asked him too.Long before I ever committed (even in my mind) to running, Charlie had me speak to his donors at a TPUSA event. He walked me around the room and introduced me. He gave me honest feedback on my remarks. He had no reason to do this, no expectation that I’d go anywhere. I was polling, at that point, well below 5 percent. He did it because we were friends, and because he was a good man. When I became the VP nominee–something Charlie advocated for both in public and private–Charlie was there for me. I was so glad to be part of the president’s team, but candidly surprised by the effect it had on our family. Our kids, especially our oldest, struggled with the attention and the constant presence of the protective detail. I felt this acute sense of guilt, that I had conscripted my kids into this life without getting their permission. And Charlie was constantly calling and texting, checking on our family and offering guidance and prayers. Some of our most successful events were organized not by the campaign, but by TPUSA. He wasn’t just a thinker, he was a doer, turning big ideas into bigger events with thousands of activists. And after every event, he would give me a big hug, tell me he was praying for me, and ask me what he could do. “You focus on Wisconsin,” he’d tell me. “Arizona is in the bag.” And it was. Charlie genuinely believed in and loved Jesus Christ. He had a profound faith. We used to argue about Catholicism and Protestantism and who was right about minor doctrinal questions. Because he loved God, he wanted to understand him. Someone else pointed out that Charlie died doing what he loved: discussing ideas. He would go into these hostile crowds and answer their questions. If it was a friendly crowd, and a progressive asked a question to jeers from the audience, he’d encourage his fans to calm down and let everyone speak. He exemplified a foundational virtue of our Republic: the willingness to speak openly and debate ideas.Charlie had an uncanny ability to know when to push the envelope and when to be more conventional. I’ve seen people attack him for years for being wrong on this or that issue publicly, never realizing that privately he was working to broaden the scope of acceptable debate. He was a great family man. I was talking to President Trump in the Oval Office today, and he said, “I know he was a very good friend of yours.” I nodded silently, and President Trump observed that Charlie really loved his family. The president was right. Charlie was so proud of Erika and the two kids. He was so happy to be a father. And he felt such gratitude for having found a woman of God with whom he could build a family.Charlie Kirk was a true friend. The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him. I am on more than a few group chats with Charlie and people he introduced me to over the years. We celebrate weddings and babies, bust each other’s chops, and mourn the loss of loved ones. We talk about politics and policy and sports and life. These group chats include people at the very highest level of our government. They trusted him, loved him, and knew he’d always have their backs. And because he was a true friend ,you could instinctively trust the people Charlie introduced you to. So much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organize and convene. He didn’t just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government. I was in a meeting in the West Wing when those group chats started lighting up with people telling Charlie they were praying for him. And that’s how I learned the news that my friend had been shot. I prayed a lot over the next hour, as first good news and then bad trickled in. God didn’t answer those prayers, and that’s OK. He had other plans. And now that Charlie is in heaven, I’ll ask him to talk to big man directly on behalf of his family, his friends, and the country he loved so dearly. You ran a good race, my friend. We’ve got it from here.The BBC reported that the FBI was offering a $100,000 reward for information about Charlie Kirk’s shooter. Additionally, they have released security camera footage of a “person of interest” and believe their suspect to be a “college age” person.During his 9/11 memorial speech at the Pentagon on September 11, President Donald Trump stated that he would posthumously honor Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. While the date of the ceremony has yet to be announced, Trump promised that the event would invite a “very big crowd.”