JD Vance escorts Charlie Kirk’s body home as Trump posthumously awards Medal of Freedom

Vice President JD Vance is to accompany the body of Charlie Kirk to Arizona aboard Air Force Two following the fatal shooting of the conservative activist at Utah Valley University.

Mr Vance, together with his wife Usha, travelled to Salt Lake City on Thursday to meet members of the Kirk family. They will fly with his widow, Mrs Erika Kirk, her relatives, and close friends to Phoenix, where the 31-year-old lived.

The vice president and second lady had been due to attend a ceremony at Ground Zero in New York marking the 24th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Instead, they withdrew from the commemoration to pay their respects in Utah.

Mr Vance, who was a longstanding friend, paid tribute to Kirk in a message posted on X. He described his influence on the Trump administration and credited him with helping to build its political success. “So much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organise and convene,” he wrote. “He didn’t just help us win in 2024; he helped us staff the entire government.”

Other senior officials remained in New York for the 9/11 anniversary events. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick were among those expected at the Ground Zero memorial. President Donald Trump addressed a service at the Pentagon before planning to travel to New York later in the day to attend a Yankees game.

During his remarks at the Pentagon, the president spoke of the “horror and grief” felt across the country at what he described as the “heinous assassination” of Kirk. He praised him as a “giant” of his generation and a “champion” of liberty who inspired millions of Americans.

“We miss him greatly,” the president told the gathering, which included military personnel and families of 9/11 victims. “Yet I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and the courage that he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on.”

Mr Trump also announced that he would be awarding Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously, calling it the highest honour that could be given to a civilian in the United States. He promised that the ceremony, on a date still to be fixed, would attract a “very big crowd”.

Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War, marked Kirk’s death at the 9/11 memorial, likening him to those who perished in the attacks. “Charlie, we love you,” he said. “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

(Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

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