"Could have been President": Trump and Vance react after Charlie Kirk shooting incident

The Charlie Kirk Show took center stage in Washington on September 15, 2025, when U.S. Vice President JD Vance guest-hosted the program from the White House to honor Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist shot and killed in Utah on September 10, 2025.

The incident, which took place during a public Q&A session at Utah Valley University, has triggered strong political responses across the country.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Vance used the opportunity to link Kirk’s killing to what they described as a broader problem of political violence from the far left.

Speaking on the program, Vance said,

“Charlie could have been President,” adding that the administration would not rest until those promoting a “culture of hatred” were held responsible.

Trump, speaking separately to reporters on September 14, said,

“When you look at the problems, the problem is on the left. It’s not on the right.”

While law enforcement continues to investigate the suspected shooter, Tyler Robinson, and no official motive has been confirmed, the White House has pledged to use federal resources to combat what it characterizes as extremist threats.

Calls for unity have emerged, but partisan debate continues to shape the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination.

White House tributes and federal pledges to act against political violence in The Charlie Kirk Show

Vice President JD Vance used his guest-hosting of The Charlie Kirk Show to pay tribute to the activist and to outline steps the administration intends to take. “Charlie could have been President.”

Vance told listeners, stressing that the killing represented more than a personal tragedy. He argued that it was evidence of a broader culture of political hostility. Vance said the administration would

“work to dismantle the institutions that promote violence and terrorism in our own country,” promising to explore every legal option available.

Adviser Stephen Miller echoed Vance’s words, pledging that the federal government would use “every resource we have at the Department of Justice, [Department of] Homeland Security and throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle and destroy these networks.”

He said the administration would pursue this agenda “in Charlie’s name.”

Vance also urged supporters to respond directly to public celebrations of Charlie Kirk’s death.

“When you see someone celebrating Charlie’s murder, call them out. Hell, call their employer,” he said, insisting that political violence has no place in civil society.

Although no evidence has yet been released to support claims of an organized extremist network behind the shooting, senior officials framed the incident as part of a broader challenge to national stability.

Political blame, foundation criticism, and continued debate on motive 

President Donald Trump expanded on the administration’s position during remarks to reporters on September 14.

“When you look at the agitators – you look at the scum that speaks so badly of our country, the American flag burnings all over the place – that’s the left, not the right,” he said. “When you look at the problems, the problem is on the left.”

Vance supported this line, saying,

“While our side of the aisle certainly has its crazies, it is a statistical fact that most of the lunatics in American politics today are proud members of the far left.”

During the September 15 broadcast, Vance also directed criticism at publications and foundations he claimed fostered a hostile climate.

He singled out The Nation magazine, saying,

“This magazine is not a fringe blog. George Soros’s Open Society Foundation funds this magazine, as does the Ford Foundation and many other wealthy titans of the American progressive movement.”

In response, the Ford Foundation released a statement condemning the killing and calling political violence “a threat to our way of life.”

At the same time, Utah Governor Spencer Cox urged restraint and warned against politicizing the tragedy.

However, the White House continued to frame the shooting as evidence of a wider trend.

Stay tuned for more updates.