Why wasn't JD Vance at the 9/11 Ceremony?

While President Donald Trump and other high figures of his cabinet were present in downtown New York City, Vice President JD Vance was absent from the annual 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero.

Vance was scheduled to speak at the New York City memorial alongside other senior officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. However, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to The Washington Post, Vance decided to pull out and instead travel with his wife, Usha Vance, to Utah to pay respects to the family of conservative activist and longtime friend Charlie Kirk in Utah.

Kirk, 31, was killed on Wednesday while speaking at a Turning Point USA event hosted in an outdoor courtyard at Utah Valley University. Witnesses reported chaos as shots rang out and attendees scrambled for cover. The FBI has confirmed the shots came from an elevated position roughly 200 yards away, consistent with a sniper-style attack.

"Charlie Kirk was a true friend," Vance wrote in a tribute posted Wednesday on X. "The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him."

Vance credited Kirk with playing a central role in his political life, writing, "So much of the success we've had in this administration traces directly to Charlie's ability to organize and convene. Because he was a true friend, you could instinctively trust the people Charlie introduced you to."

According to the vice president, he was in a West Wing meeting when the news of the shooting first broke. Friends began texting updates in a group chat, urging Kirk to stay strong and assuring him of their prayers. "I prayed a lot over the next hour," Vance said, until he learned that Kirk had died.

Later that day, while Vance was in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump acknowledged Kirk's death, saying, "I know he was a very good friend of yours." Vance, visibly shaken, nodded as Trump added, "You could tell Charlie really loved his family."

In his tribute, Vance recalled meeting Kirk in 2017, following an interview on Fox News with Tucker Carlson. "Afterward, someone I barely knew sent me a message on Twitter and told me I did a great job," he wrote. "It was Charlie Kirk, and that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today."

The vice president also said Kirk died doing what he loved most: debating ideas.

"He would walk into hostile crowds and take their questions. And if it was a friendly crowd and a progressive asked something that drew jeers, he would tell his supporters to calm down and let the person speak," Vance wrote. "He embodied one of the core values of our Republic: the willingness to speak freely and debate ideas."

Kirk's killing has caused a massive uproar nationwide. A married father of two, he was a close ally of President Trump and a central figure in conservative youth activism. Trump condemned the attack as "a despicable act against a great patriot," while lawmakers across the aisle urged investigators to restore public trust and deliver swift justice.

The FBI, in the meantime, said it has already received more than 130 tips from the public. "We are investing everything we have into this, and we will catch this individual," FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls said.