Erika Kirk’s Surprising Confession: What Makes JD Vance Remind Her of Late Husband Charlie?

At a packed campus event for Turning Point USA held at the University of Mississippi, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Erika Kirk, paid tribute to her late husband and made a comparison with JD. Vance, the US Vice President. Notably, it was Erika's first time speaking at the conservative event, since Charlie's assassination in September at Utah Valley University by a sniper shot. Erika said, "No one will ever replace my husband… but I do see some similarities of my husband in Vice-President JD Vance.” She added she felt “so blessed to be able to introduce him tonight” because he “understands the fight we’re up against” and can “articulate that in a way that transcends.” Videos from the event quickly spread online; a bear-hug moment between Erika and Vance during the introduction drew particular attention on social media. Also Read: Woman With a Bindi Confronts JD Vance On Immigration: ‘You Sold Us a Dream - Now You’re Taking It Back’ | Watch Erika, who now leads Turning Point USA as its CEO and chair following her husband’s death, described the gathering as part of a “spiritual reclaiming of territory.” In her remarks, she emphasised that while no one can replace Charlie Kirk, she believes Vance shares key traits and values that her husband embodied. Further, thanking students for their support, Erika said, "You guys have no idea how helpful it is to have all you in my life … you make me feel even more connected to my husband. He didn’t leave us empty-handed. He built a machine. And all of you are a part of that.” Meanwhile, JD Vance was also engaged in a lengthy question-and-answer session with students. Responding to questions about his wife Usha's faith, JD Vance said, "Now, most Sundays, Usha will come with me to church. As I've told her, and as I've said publicly, and as I'll say now in front of 10,000 of my closest friends -- do I hope, eventually, that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved by in church? Yeah, I honestly do wish that because I believe in the Christian gospel and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it the same way." He said that his wife faith "doesn't cause a problem" for him. "But if she doesn't, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn't cause a problem for me. That's something you work out with your friends, with your family, with the person that you love," Vance said. The couple -- Usha Vance and JD Vance, who met at Yale Law School when Vance was not Christian and called himself agnostic, decided to raise their three children in the Christian faith. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News and around the World.