In a move that fires the starting gun for the 2028 White House race, the widow of murdered right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has publicly endorsed Vice President JD Vance for president.
A Powerful Endorsement at AmericaFest
Erika Kirk made the significant announcement on Thursday night, addressing thousands of attendees at AmericaFest. This event is the first major gathering of the influential youth organization Turning Point USA since the assassination of its founder, her husband Charlie Kirk, on a Utah college campus.
"We are going to get my husband's friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible," she declared, urging support for Vance to become the 48th President of the United States. Her endorsement carries the weight of the organization that played a major role in mobilising young voters for Donald Trump's 2024 campaign.
Vance's Candidacy and MAGA's Future
While JD Vance has not yet formally declared his candidacy for 2028, he is widely anticipated to run. This early backing from a powerful faction within the conservative movement is seen as a crucial step to build momentum and make a Vance bid seem inevitable.
The endorsement arrives as the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement begins to contemplate a political future without Donald Trump. It also highlights growing fractures within the movement. Last month, firebrand Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene launched a blistering attack on Trump's second-term agenda, accusing him of betraying voters. Greene, who plans to leave Congress in January, is speculated by some commentators as a potential 2028 contender herself.
A Bond Forged in Tragedy
The personal connection between Vance and the Kirk family was solidified in tragedy. Vice President Vance was close to Charlie Kirk in the years before the activist's shocking murder. Following the killing, Vance flew to Utah to console Erika Kirk and accompanied Charlie Kirk's body back to the couple's Arizona home on Air Force Two.
Charlie Kirk, 31, was a talented speaker who built a massive social media following by debating hot-button issues on college campuses. A month after his death, Donald Trump posthumously awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him a "martyr for truth and freedom."
As the MAGA movement navigates its post-Trump direction, with figures like white nationalist Nick Fuentes also vying for influence, Erika Kirk's endorsement places JD Vance at the forefront of this evolving political landscape. Vance is scheduled to speak at the AmericaFest gathering on Sunday.
