Erika Kirk jokes she’d get ‘less hate’ for grabbing JD Vance’s a** than for that hug

Erika Kirk quips she'd get 'less hate' for grabbing JD Vance's a** than for a hug

Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, has responded to criticism of her now-viral embrace with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance by insisting the moment was innocent and reflective of her “love language.”

During an October 29 event at Turning Point USA’s campus gathering in Mississippi, Erika Kirk delivered an emotional tribute to her husband, who was tragically shot and killed. As she walked on stage, visibly upset, Vance joined her; she recounted, “They’d just played the emotional video. I’m walking over, he’s walking over, I’m starting to cry.”

She said that when they embraced, Vance leaned in and told her, “I’m so proud of you.” She responded, “God bless you,” and placed a hand on the back of his head, a gesture she says she uses “with anyone I hug.” She added, “If you’ve ever hugged me, I’ve done that. If you want to take that out of context, go right ahead. To me, that just shows you need a hug more than anyone else.”

Erika Kirk addressed the viral photo of her hugging JD Vance, saying she’s just a deeply affectionate person, and intense hugs are part of her love language.

She even joked with Megyn Kelly that if she’d grabbed JD Vance’s a** instead, people wouldn’t be nearly as mad. pic.twitter.com/Mbchti3BGS — Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) November 24, 2025

The hug sparked widespread online commentary, with critics scrutinising the physical contact. Commentator Megyn Kelly recounted the reaction, “They were acting like you touched the back of his a**!” Kirk laughed in response and quipped, “I feel like I wouldn’t get as much hate if I did that.”

Reflecting on the backlash, she said the reaction has made her cautious: “When I go and hug people, I’ll bring them back in and be like, ‘I obviously didn’t give you the right hug, let me touch the back of your head.’” She added, “For those of you who know me, my love language is touch... Whoever is hating on a hug needs a hug themselves. I will give you a free hug anytime.” She closed by saying, “That hug, it was an emotional moment. That is all.”

Vance, who has been married to Usha Vance since 2014, has not publicly addressed the uproar.

Following her husband’s death, Kirk stepped into the leadership of Turning Point USA, a transition she described as painful but necessary: “Since Charlie passed, I’ve stepped into the role he built... It’s what he would have wanted.”

During her conversation with Kelly, Kirk also confirmed that the organisation is preparing to support Vance in a potential 2028 presidential bid: “Don’t worry -- it’s already in the works... One of the last few conversations we had was how intentional he was about supporting JD for 2028.”