Faith, Freedom, and the Fight Ahead | Vice President JD Vance at AmFest 2025

[00:00:00] I remember I was consumed by this fear [00:00:03] that Charlie's death wouldn't just [00:00:04] deprive a family of their husband or of [00:00:07] a good father, but that it would deny [00:00:10] our movement of a great unifier of [00:00:13] people and a great doer of great deeds. [00:00:17] It's the only time I can remember my [00:00:19] wife ever telling me that she was really [00:00:22] worried about me. She told me it many [00:00:24] times. [00:00:26] But what saved me was not lying to [00:00:28] myself, but accepting the reality of the [00:00:31] fight that we're in. Charlie's death was [00:00:35] an immense loss, an irreplaceable loss. [00:00:40] We got kicked in the teeth, my friends. [00:00:42] And there's no sugar coating it or [00:00:43] pretending that it didn't happen. We [00:00:46] need to accept that. And what saved me [00:00:49] was realizing that the story of the [00:00:52] Christian faith like the story of these [00:00:55] United States of America is one of [00:00:57] immense loss followed by even bigger [00:01:01] victory. It's a story. [00:01:09] It's a story of very dark nights [00:01:12] followed by very bright dawn. What saved [00:01:14] me was remembering the inherent goodness [00:01:17] of God and that his grace overflows when [00:01:20] we least expect it. [00:01:23] Not long ago, [00:01:25] I spent time at a Christian men's [00:01:27] ministry just a couple of weeks ago. And [00:01:29] here's what they do. They take men who [00:01:31] struggle with addiction or homelessness [00:01:33] and they help them get back on their [00:01:35] feet. They feed them. They clothe them. [00:01:38] They give them shelter and financial [00:01:39] advice. They live out the very best part [00:01:43] of Christ's commission. Now, afterwards, [00:01:46] I had lunch with four of these men. It [00:01:48] was a couple of white guys, a Hispanic [00:01:49] guy, and a black man. They had all [00:01:52] struggled in their unique ways. Some had [00:01:55] lost contact with their family, some of [00:01:57] them for a very long time. Others were [00:02:00] desperate to rebuild relationships with [00:02:02] their kids so that they could see them [00:02:04] on Christmas. But all of them were back [00:02:07] on their feet. And what saved them? [00:02:10] It wasn't racial commonality or [00:02:12] grievance. It wasn't some philosophical [00:02:15] jargon. It wasn't a DEI prep course. And [00:02:19] it wasn't a welfare check. It was the [00:02:22] fact that a carpenter died 2,000 years [00:02:24] ago and changed the world in the [00:02:26] process. [00:02:39] And I know many of you miss our dear [00:02:41] friend Charlie Kirk. So do I. [00:02:44] I miss his optimism. I miss his energy. [00:02:48] I miss the phone calls where we'd [00:02:50] strategize about how to get this or that [00:02:52] GOP congressman to get off their ass and [00:02:54] do something. [00:02:57] But most of all, I miss Charlie's [00:03:00] wisdom. I miss his reminder that [00:03:03] politics is not a dress rehearsal or a [00:03:06] game. We are making decisions that will [00:03:08] save our country and give the American [00:03:11] people a shot at their dreams again. [00:03:14] If you miss Charlie Kirk, do you promise [00:03:18] to fight what he died for? [00:03:24] >> Do you promise to take the country back [00:03:26] from the people who took his life? [00:03:32] Do you promise to help defeat the [00:03:34] radicals who cheered his death? [00:03:40] >> Do you promise to honor his memory by [00:03:43] having faith in the God he loved? [00:03:48] My friends, commit to these things and I [00:03:51] promise you victory. I promise you [00:03:55] closed borders and safe communities. I [00:03:58] promise you good jobs and a dignified [00:04:00] life. Only God can promise you salvation [00:04:04] in heaven. But together, we can fulfill [00:04:06] the promise of the greatest nation in [00:04:09] the history of the earth. Merry [00:04:10] Christmas, my friends. Let's keep [00:04:12] fighting.