Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, has publicly addressed the scrutiny surrounding her embrace with Vice President JD Vance. Kirk, 37, clarified the interaction during a recent appearance on Megyn Kelly Live, attributing her actions to her personal "love language."
"My love language is physical touch, so to speak," Erika explained to Kelly. She offered a step-by-step account of the moment: "They just played the emotional video. I go in, [JD] goes in. I start crying." The two then shared a hug.
Kirk recounted the exchange during the embrace. "He says, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ And I say, ‘God bless you,’ and I touch the back of his neck." She clarified her customary gesture, stating, "Anyone I’ve ever hugged where I’ve touched the back of their neck in a hug, I always say, ‘God bless you.’" Kelly, 55, noted the public’s intense reaction, remarking, "They were acting like you touched his butt!" Kirk agreed, adding with a touch of irony, "I feel like I wouldn’t get as much hate if I did that!"
This explanation follows a related statement from Vice President Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, 39. Her representative addressed photographs of Usha without her wedding ring, telling People on Saturday, November 22, that she is "a mother of three young children, who washes a lot of dishes, gives a lot of baths, and sometimes forgets her ring."
The embrace between Erika Kirk and JD Vance, 41, occurred on October 29 at a Turning Point USA event. Kirk delivered an emotional tribute to her late husband before introducing the Vice President to the audience.
"No one will ever replace my husband," Kirk stated at the event. She then drew a poignant comparison. "But I do see some similarities of my husband in JD, in Vice President JD Vance. I see it. And that’s why I feel so blessed to be able to introduce him tonight."
The nature of the hug, specifically Kirk placing her hands on Vance’s neck while he briefly placed his hands on her waist, generated significant public discussion.
Erika Kirk assumed the role of CEO of Turning Point USA earlier this year following the tragic death of her husband, Charlie. The conservative commentator was fatally shot at age 31 on September 10 while delivering a speech at Utah Valley University. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been arrested and charged in connection with Charlie’s death and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
During her interview with Kelly, Kirk also shared a deeply personal revelation, becoming emotional as she discussed her and Charlie’s plans to expand their family. "We wanted four [children]," said Kirk, who shared two children with Charlie. "And I was asking God to be pregnant when he was murdered." She added, "We both wanted it, we were really excited about expanding our family." Kirk offered advice to young couples, urging them, "Please don’t put it off. Especially if you’re a young woman, don’t put it off. You can always have a career, you can always go back to work. You can never just go back to having children."