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Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk’s body will be flown Thursday from Utah to Phoenix on Air Force Two, the airplane reserved for the vice president, sources familiar with the plans confirmed to MSNBC and NBC News.
Kirk was fatally shot Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem. The headquarters of Turning Point USA, the nonprofit organization co-founded by Kirk in 2012, is located in Phoenix, where Kirk lived.
Vice President JD Vance, a longtime friend of Kirk’s, and second lady Usha Vance were originally scheduled to be in New York City for a 9/11 memorial ceremony on Thursday, but instead traveled to Salt Lake City to meet with Kirk’s family and friends.
Vance shared a lengthy tribute to his late friend on X, that read in part, “Charlie Kirk was a true friend. The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him. I am on more than a few group chats with Charlie and people he introduced me to over the years. We celebrate weddings and babies, bust each other’s chops, and mourn the loss of loved ones.”
Vance said he met Kirk around 2017 after Kirk sent him a direct message on Twitter, now X, and the two maintained a close friendship ever since. Vance also credited Kirk with helping Trump win the 2024 election and “staff the entire government.”
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.