Photos of JD Vance’s close hug with Erika Kirk at a Mississippi event, coupled with remarks about his wife’s faith, have stirred widespread online criticism.
Vice President JD Vance has come under scrutiny after photos surfaced of a close embrace with Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, during Turning Point USA’s “This Is the Turning Point” event at the University of Mississippi on Wednesday night.
Vance, who headlined the event and debated students on stage, was pictured holding Kirk by the waist as she buried her hand in his hair, an image that quickly went viral online. Social media users described the moment as “uncomfortably close,” with one commentator writing, “Usha, you in danger, girl.”
The controversy deepened after Vance’s remarks about his wife, Usha, where he said he hopes she will “leave her Hindu faith and convert to Christianity.”
“I honestly do wish that because I believe in the Christian gospel,” he said. “If she doesn’t, then God says, everybody has free will.”
The images and remarks have fueled speculation about propriety and judgment.