Erika Kirk Endorses JD Vance for President in 2028

Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA and the widow of the organization’s slain co-founder Charlie Kirk, has offered an early endorsement of Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028, telling thousands of conservatives gathered in Phoenix that she intends to help propel him to the White House.

“We are going to get my husband’s friend, JD Vance, elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” Kirk said from the stage at AmericaFest 2025, drawing applause from the crowd.

Vance has not publicly announced plans to run for president in 2028, but he is widely expected to consider a bid after the 2026 midterm elections. Several recent polls already place him as the leading favorite among Republican voters.

While Turning Point USA has not formally declared an institutional endorsement, Kirk’s remarks point to Vance’s growing stature within the conservative movement and highlight the close personal ties between the vice president and the late Charlie Kirk. Vance is scheduled to deliver the conference’s final speech on Dec. 21.

AmericaFest, Turning Point USA’s annual gathering, drew thousands of activists, students, and conservative leaders to Phoenix this week for a mix of political speeches, cultural commentary, and tributes to Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. His death has reverberated across conservative circles, elevating his legacy as an organizer and coalition builder.

“This is a full circle moment for me,” Erika Kirk told attendees. “Two years ago, my husband stood on this stage and said, ‘Here I am, Lord, use me.’ And boy, did He.”

She reflected on the months since her husband’s killing, describing a period of grief, reckoning, and internal strain within the broader conservative movement.

“The past three months, I have learned a lot,” she said. “You learn very quickly who is ready to go to war with you. You learn very quickly who thinks emotionally versus logically.”

Kirk said her husband’s role as a unifier became even clearer after his death.

“My husband, he deeply mattered on a multitude of levels, so much so that it proved even more once he was assassinated, how much of a peacemaker he was and how much of a coalition builder he was,” she said.

“Because when he was assassinated, we saw infighting, we’ve seen fractures, we’ve seen bridges being burned that shouldn’t be burnt. We saw a lot on full display.”

Vance and Charlie Kirk shared a close friendship dating back to 2017. After Kirk’s death, Vance credited him with playing a pivotal role in shaping his political career and the broader success of the Trump–Vance administration.

“Charlie Kirk was a true friend,” Vance wrote on X in a tribute following Kirk’s assassination. “So much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organize and convene. He didn’t just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.”

The AmericaFest conference also featured high-profile remarks from conservative figures—with some pointing to ideological tensions within the movement. Commentator Ben Shapiro said that conservatism faces threats not only from the political left but also from within.

“The conservative movement is also in danger from charlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle,” Shapiro said, criticizing what he described as conspiracism and grievance-driven politics at the hands of those who have nothing to offer “but bile and despair.”

British comedian Russell Brand urged the audience not to allow partisan politics to overshadow their faith, while praising former President Donald Trump’s record in office. Tucker Carlson, meanwhile, spoke out against cancel culture and anti-Semitism.

Beyond the conference, the legal case surrounding Charlie Kirk’s killing continues to unfold in Utah. Tyler Robinson, 22, who has been charged with aggravated murder in the case, made his first court appearance on Dec. 11, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty.