Hold onto your hats, folks—Turning Point USA might just be gearing up to crown Vice President JD Vance as the Republican torchbearer for 2028.
Erika Kirk, widow of the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, dropped a bombshell on a recent podcast, suggesting the influential conservative group is laying groundwork to support Vance as the next GOP presidential contender.
Turning Point USA has long been a powerhouse in conservative circles, credited with playing a key role in Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency.
Before his tragic assassination in September, Charlie Kirk had a clear vision for the future, and according to Erika, it centered on JD Vance.
“That was the thing that my husband was very direct about, it was, interestingly enough, one of the last few conversations we had was how intentional he was about supporting JD for '28,” Erika shared during an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show released Monday.
Well, if Charlie’s last wish was to see Vance take the reins, that’s a legacy worth fighting for—though one wonders if the progressive crowd will cry “dynasty” before the first campaign ad even airs.
Since her husband’s untimely death, Erika Kirk has refused to step back, maintaining a strong public presence amid uncertainty over TPUSA’s direction without its founder.
She’s been seen alongside President Trump, who spoke at Charlie’s funeral, and has repeatedly named Vance as the top pick to follow in Trump’s footsteps.
Her close bond with Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, has only deepened, especially after the couple traveled to Utah to support her in the wake of her loss—images of Usha comforting Erika went viral, showing a human side to politics often buried under partisan noise.
JD Vance hasn’t been a bystander in this unfolding story, hosting an episode of the Charlie Kirk Podcast and joining Erika at a TPUSA event last month at the University of Mississippi to honor her late husband.
Yet, Vance himself remains coy about a potential 2028 bid, admitting in a recent Fox News interview that he’s pondered the idea but is focused on his current role as vice president.
Call it refreshing restraint or clever politicking—either way, Vance isn’t jumping the gun, and that’s a rare sight in a world obsessed with the next big headline.
Erika Kirk echoed Vance’s measured approach on Monday, stressing that TPUSA’s immediate focus is on the 2026 midterm elections before diving into 2028 speculation.
“Let’s start with the midterms before we start jumping to ’28. And let’s enjoy the fact that we do have Donald Trump in office, and we worked really hard to make that happen, my husband did,” she said on The Megyn Kelly Show.
Smart move—after all, why build castles in the air when there’s real ground to gain in Arizona’s upcoming governor’s race and beyond, especially after TPUSA’s recent success in leading the recall of a Mesa City Council member?
