5:58In this Oct. 29, 2025, file photo, Erika Kirk, the widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, and Vice President JD Vance share an embrace on stage during a Turning Point USA event at the Pavilion at Ole Miss at the University of Mississippi, in Oxford, Mississippi. Jonathan Ernst, Pool via Getty Images, FILE
During a Turning Point USA conference in Arizona, Erika Kirk expressed her support for Vice President JD Vance for the presidency, promising to rally one of the most powerful conservative organizations in the nation behind Vance for 2028.
"We are determined to secure my husband’s friend JD Vance’s election for 48 in the most emphatic way possible,” she declared during her address on Thursday evening at AmericaFest, the first significant Turning Point event since her husband’s tragic death.
CEO of Turning Point USA Erika Kirk addresses the audience during AmericaFest, the inaugural Turning Point USA summit following Charlie Kirk’s passing, in Phoenix, Arizona, Dec. 18, 2025Cheney Orr/Reuters
Although the endorsement might not be a significant surprise due to Vance’s close ties with Charlie Kirk and Erika Kirk, it holds importance given the group’s significant influence on the right.
Turning Point, established by Charlie Kirk in 2012, was instrumental in aiding the election of President Donald Trump and in shaping the contemporary conservative movement, especially among younger constituents.
Vance has yet to officially announce his candidacy for 2028. In a Fox News interview last month, Vance mentioned he was concentrating on the vice presidency and the 2026 midterms but intended to discuss 2028 with President Trump after the elections next year.
"We’re going to win the midterms, we’re going to do everything we can to secure victory in the midterms, and then afterward, I’ll meet with the president of the United States to discuss it," Vance stated. "But let’s concentrate on the present."
Following Charlie Kirk’s death, Vance acknowledged the Turning Point founder for his role in his political ascent and for shaping President Trump’s second administration.
"A large part of the achievements we’ve realized in this administration can be traced back to Charlie’s talent for organizing and bringing people together. He didn’t just assist us in winning in 2024; he helped us staff the entire government," Vance remarked in the days following Kirk’s fatal shooting on Sept. 10 during a campus event at Utah Valley University.
In this Oct. 29, 2025, file photo, Erika Kirk, the widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, and Vice President JD Vance embrace on stage during a Turning Point USA event at the Pavilion at Ole Miss at the University of Mississippi, in Oxford, Mississippi. Jonathan Ernst, Pool via Getty Images, FILE
Erika Kirk’s endorsement comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in an interview with Vanity Fair published this week that he would back the vice president if he were to run for president in 2028.
"If JD Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be among the first to support him,” Rubio told Vanity Fair’s Chris Whipple.
Trump himself has mentioned that Vance and Rubio would be "excellent" candidates for the presidency.
"I’m not certain if anyone would challenge those two," Trump stated in late October. "I believe if they ever formed a coalition, it would be unstoppable."
Sourse: abcnews.go.com