US vice president JD Vance on Wednesday posted a heartfelt tribute to Charlie Kirk on social media, calling him “a true friend” and a major influence in his rise in national politics.Kirk, the conservative activist who was shot dead Wednesday at Utah Valley University, helped shape Vance’s path from a MAGA outsider to the vice presidency. “Charlie was fascinated by ideas and always willing to learn and change his mind,” Vance wrote. “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.” Vance said Kirk was crucial to his 2022 Senate campaign in Ohio, helping with strategy, fundraising and grassroots connections. “He introduced me to some of the people who would run my campaign and also to Donald Trump Jr, who took a call from me because Charlie asked,” Vance wrote. Kirk also remained deeply involved with Vance’s 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.” Vance recalled learning about Kirk’s shooting through group messages with friends and government officials. “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 (the) big man directly on behalf of his family, his friends, and the country he loved so dearly.”Vance and his wife Usha accompanied the conservative activist on his final flight home. Images from the flight show Erika, dressed in black and holding her two young children, walking hand-in-hand with Usha Vance. The vice president and uniformed service members helped carry the flag-draped casket onto the plane.
