It was an emotional night at a Turning Point USA event in Mississippi, and one moment in particular has the internet buzzing.

Just after Erika Kirk, the widow of the late Charlie Kirk, told the crowd that “no one will replace my husband,” she brought Vice President JD Vance to the stage. The two shared a long, close embrace that many online are calling anything but casual.

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI – OCTOBER 29: Erika Kirk and U.S. Vice President JD Vance embrace at the Pavilion at Ole Miss on the campus of the University of Mississippi on October 29, 2025 in Oxford, Mississippi. Thousands attended the Turning Point USA event to honor Kirk’s husband, the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Photo by Brad Vest/Getty Images)
Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was killed on September 10 during an event at Utah Valley University. Since then, his wife Erika, 36, has quietly taken on a bigger role in the organization he built. She’s been carrying his message forward while still grieving.

At the October 29 event at the University of Mississippi, Erika gave a speech that had people in tears. She talked about how hard the day was, but said she c

ould almost hear Charlie telling her to keep going. “Go reclaim that territory, babe,” she imagined him saying. “The battle’s already won.”

She then introduced JD Vance, saying she sees echoes of her late husband in him. “No one will ever replace my husband,” she told the thousands in the audience. “But I do see some similarities in Vice President JD Vance. That’s why I’m so grateful to introduce him tonight.”

When Vance walked up, the hug happened. His hands rested on her hips. Her fingers ran through his hair. It lasted longer than a quick, polite squeeze.

And the internet noticed.

“She’s holding him like a lover,” one person wrote on X.

Another said, “You don’t run your hands through a friend’s hair in a moment meant to be about grief. That’s not platonic. And why is his hand on her waist like that? It’s awkward.”

Someone else chimed in: “If my partner hugged someone like that in front of 10,000 people, we’d be having a serious talk.”
A few took a softer view. “Maybe she’s just a warm, expressive person. I have friends who hug like that. But still—not the time or place, especially with the Vice President.”

Vance also spoke about his own family that night. He and his wife Usha have three young kids and are raising them Christian. Usha, who was raised Hindu, often goes to church with him now. Vance said he hopes one day she’ll fully embrace the faith, too.

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