For one night, Vice President JD Vance stepped into late political commentator Charlie Kirk’s role and debated students at the University of Mississippi on Wednesday night.
He did so alongside the widowed wife of Kirk, Erika Kirk, as a part of Turning Point USA’s “This Is The Turning Point” tour, which is an extension of the “American Comeback Tour” and has included known conservatives like Utah’s Sen. Mike Lee and Gov. Spencer Cox, Tucker Carlson, Vivek Ramaswamy and Rob Schneider.
The stop in Oxford, Miss., is the first time the vice president and Erika Kirk took the stage for this tour in honor of Charlie Kirk.
Erika Kirk opens up about personal grief
Kirk, who wore a white “Freedom” shirt, similar to the one her husband wore the day he was killed, spoke about her husband’s legacy and the path forward for TPUSA.
“Being on campus right now for me is a spiritual reclaiming of territory,” she said. “There is a lot of symbolism in today. It’s Wednesday, seven weeks. And the more that I am coming to grips with the permanency of this nightmare, the more that I am starting to realize and witness that the enemy, he doesn’t want you.”
Kirk added: “He wants your territory. He wants your influence.”
Kirk opened up about her grief in the weeks since her husband was murdered.
“It took me a while to even just make it back into our bedroom,” she said. “I used to sprint from the opening door into the bathroom and sprint out. I was not ready to walk into our bedroom yet, and when I was finally able to sleep in our bed for the first time, I slept on his side of the bed.”
She said she finally saw Charlie Kirk’s view every morning. She was referring to the framed words on the bedroom wall: “They will be known by the boldness of their faith.”
“He saw that every single morning he woke up,” Erika said. “I didn’t, because I was on the other side, facing the window. But from his side, that’s what he saw first.”
“Your generation is living at a crossroads. And you are living in one of the most defining moments in American history. We are all witnessing in real time the battle that is raging for the soul of your generation — again, your generation.”
She noted that on his desk, Charlie Kirk had written out three questions to ask himself everyday.
“What is something I can do for someone today? What is something I can do to add value to the world today? How can I honor God today?” the questions said.
“Those were his action points for courage,” Erika Kirk said. “Ask yourself those questions every day, and I promise you, you will get courage.”
“He wasn’t just a guy who went around campus and said very interesting things,” Vance said. “He was a person who, particularly to the young people of this country, he had the very best advice. Charlie wanted you... to build a life that was worth building.”
Vance speaks about Christian values
Erika Kirk said she sees many similarities between her husband and the vice president
“That’s why I’m so blessed to be able to introduce him tonight. Because he understands the fight that we’re up against,” she added. “He’s an amazing man.”
When Vance took the stage, he said he would “speak from the heart.” He encouraged students to live by Charlie Kirk’s advice to young people: “Fall in love, get married and start a family.”
He gestured to his wife and second lady Usha Vance in the audience and said his only regret was not having children sooner.
“While you’re young, have those babies if you’re able to,” he said.
Following his short remarks, he engaged in an hour-long Q&A session, fielding questions on immigration and data collection by students. Vance reaffirmed his Christian beliefs.
“I make no apologies for thinking that Christian values are an important foundation of this country,” Vance said in response to a question regarding the separation of church and state.
“Anybody who’s telling you their view is neutral likely has an agenda to sell you. And I’m at least honest about the fact that I think the Christian foundation of this country is a good thing.”
In response to a question about his connection to Palantir, a data mining giant that works with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Defense and the Israeli military, Vance said he isn’t involved.
“I get asked about Palantir a lot because there’s this internet meme out there that somehow I’m super in bed with Palantir,” Vance said.
“Here’s the thing I’d say about this. Palantir is a private company. They sometimes do a useful service, and sometimes they’re going to do things we don’t like. You should be demanding that your representatives do two things when it comes to Palantir or any other technology company,” he said, adding that if young people are concerned about data privacy they should reach out to their members of Congress and ask them to pass legislation.