Erika Kirk, the chief executive of Turning Point USA and the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, formally threw her support behind Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028 on Thursday, delivering a rousing endorsement that drew loud applause at the group’s AmericaFest conference in Phoenix.
Addressing the crowd, Kirk framed her remarks as part of a long-term conservative strategy that goes beyond individual candidates. “For both 2026 and 2028, we’re investing in states and not just in races,” she said. “So what I mean by that is we are building the red wall — Arizona, Nevada, New Hampshire. That’s going to be very important to us.”
She emphasized that the immediate priority remains supporting President Donald Trump’s agenda by holding congressional majorities. “We’re going to ensure that President Trump has Congress for all four years,” Kirk said. She then delivered the line that electrified the room, calling for a decisive victory in the next presidential cycle. “We are going to get my husband’s friend, JD Vance, elected for ‘48 in the most resounding way possible,” she said, prompting cheers from the audience.
Kirk’s endorsement comes unusually early in the 2028 election cycle and effectively launches the opening stage of what is expected to be a crowded Republican primary. While Vance has not formally announced a presidential campaign, he has acknowledged thinking about the possibility while stressing that his current focus remains on his duties as vice president.
Asked about his future ambitions in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity last month, Vance said he has considered what might come after the midterm elections but tries not to dwell on it. “I’ve thought about what that moment might look like after the midterm elections, sure,” Vance said. “But I also — whenever I think about that, I try to put it out of my head and remind myself the American people elected me to do a job right now and my job is to do it.”
Vance warned that looking too far ahead could undermine his performance. “If you start getting distracted and focus on what comes next, I think it actually makes you worse at the job that you have,” he said.
He added that the administration’s immediate political goal is clear. “We’re going win the midterms. We’re going to do everything that we can to win the midterms,” Vance said. “And then after that, I’m going to sit down with the president of the United States and talk to him about it.”
Kirk’s remarks also came amid visible tensions within the conservative movement, some of which surfaced during the same AmericaFest gathering. That evening, prominent conservative voices Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson took public jabs at one another, reflecting ongoing disagreements over Carlson’s decision to give airtime to far-right figures such as Nick Fuentes. The exchange highlighted ideological fault lines that could shape the Republican coalition heading into the next election cycle.
At the same time, Vance is far from the only Republican whose name is being mentioned as a potential 2028 contender. Other figures floated as possible candidates include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
Still, Kirk’s endorsement underscores the organizational muscle of Turning Point USA and signals that key conservative activists are already working to shape the post-Trump landscape. With 2026 and 2028 on the horizon, the battle lines inside the GOP are beginning to take shape — and JD Vance now has a powerful early ally.
[READ MORE: Vatican Names Bishop Ronald Hicks as New Archbishop of New York After Dolan’s Resignation]
