At Sunday’s memorial service for Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, his widow, Erika Kirk, recounted a moment of support she received from Second Lady Usha Vance in the days following her husband’s assassination, as reported [1] by Fox News.
Speaking before a packed crowd at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Erika Kirk described Vance as a “precious woman” whose words brought her strength at a time of profound grief.
Erika Kirk said [2] she confided in Usha Vance about her uncertainty in enduring the loss of her husband and the father of their two children.
Vance responded with an analogy of the last 15 minutes of a turbulent airplane ride, noting how in that moment, all a parent can think about is simply getting through to the landing.
“The second lady told me, you will get through these 15 minutes and the next 15 minutes after that,” Erika Kirk said.
“Usha, I don’t think you realized it then, but those words were exactly what I needed to hear.”
🚨WATCH: Erika Kirk recounts the words of comfort Usha Vance shared with her the day after her husband Charlie was killed.
“Usha, I don’t think you realized it then, but those words were exactly what I needed to hear.” pic.twitter.com/6buZtljGGL [3]
— Off The Press (@OffThePress1) September 21, 2025 [4]
Earlier in the evening, Vice President JD Vance delivered a tribute to his close friend. He addressed the thousands in attendance, highlighting Kirk’s role as both a public advocate and private confidant.
“They tried to silence our dear friend Charlie Kirk,” JD Vance said. “And tonight, we speak with Charlie and for Charlie, louder than ever.”
The vice president praised Kirk’s commitment to family, faith, and traditional values. “Charlie brought the truth that young people deserve to stake (in) the future, and that they deserve to have a voice,” Vance said.
But JD Vance emphasized [5] that Kirk’s legacy extended beyond his words.
“Charlie, he did so much more than tell the truth. He lived it,” he said, adding that Kirk’s passion for history and ideas gave him a vision for America’s future. “In this he showed all of us how to carry on after his death,” Vance concluded.
Charlie Kirk was both a personal friend and political ally to the vice president. He was considered instrumental in President Donald Trump’s choice of JD Vance as his running mate in the 2024 election.
In the days immediately following Kirk’s assassination in Utah on Sept. 10, JD Vance and Usha Vance traveled with Erika Kirk aboard Air Force Two to return the activist’s casket to Arizona. In Salt Lake City, the vice president accompanied the flag-draped casket as it was carried across the tarmac.
The vice president also filled in for his “dear friend” on “The Charlie Kirk Show,” where he expressed similar reflections on Kirk’s life and the impact of his death.