Vice President JD Vance recounted the “very harsh moment” when he informed President Trump about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. This occurred in the Oval Office, while he was comforting White House chief Susie Wills.
“I was the person who walked into the Oval Office, and it, uh, felt really, really heavy,” he remarked during a segment on Fox News. “It was honestly a very tough day.”
“We were there for each other like friends should be, but wow, it was a rough moment,” he added.
Vance, 41, shared that he had just wrapped up a meeting in the West Wing when his phone began buzzing frantically on September 10th around 2:30 PM.
“I glanced at my phone and saw multiple group chats—most of them had folks saying, ‘Charlie, I’m praying for you,’ hoping he was okay. Then I opened the door, and someone said, ‘Charlie was shot,’ and followed that with, ‘This is serious, very real.'”
Vance recalled the tension that followed, as they learned about the shooting of Kirk by suspect Tyler Robinson. At that moment, Kirk was speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
The VP and his team spent the next stretch checking on Kirk’s status.
“We were on the phone, trying to figure out what was happening,” Vance said.
“The news was disheartening. There was so much confusion. We had a brief time where we were getting some positive updates from the hospital.”
Vance reported that they heard about Kirk’s death roughly an hour before it was publicly announced.
He hurried to the Oval Office and found Trump, who comforted Wills through tears.
“She usually holds it together, but we just hugged, and I think everyone lost their composure,” Vance said.
Stay informed about the situation surrounding Charlie Kirk
Trump appeared “very stoic” upon receiving the news about Kirk’s death.
“He was clearly upset, quiet for a bit, letting the reality sink in,” Vance said.
He mentioned having seen a video of the incident but had no desire to watch it again. “I just can’t bear to see that happen to my friend again,” he told Watters.
A few hours after Kirk’s death, Vance honored his “dear friend,” expressing that Kirk played a significant role in inspiring him to take office.
The author of “Hillbilly Elegy” talked about the friendship that blossomed between them before 2018, which eventually led to Vance being named Trump’s VP pick.
“We all felt a sense of mourning for our friend, reflecting on what a titan he was and how impactful he’d been to the movement,” he said.
