Erika Kirk Alludes To JD Vance Affair Rumors (& What Charlie Would Say About It)

There have been a slew of rumors that have plagued Erika Kirk since the death of her husband, Charlie Kirk. The new Turning Point USA CEO — who assumed the position after her husband was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University event on September 10 — has stayed relatively quiet about the chatter that has dogged her name up until now. But in a recent interview with Fox News, Erika addressed how she deals with the constant scrutiny, and even alluded to what her husband's response would have been to her now viral and very messy JD Vance affair rumors.

🚨 NOW: Erika Kirk says Charlie's advice has helped her TUNE OUT the people constantly criticizing her and accusing her of not grieving properly

"They think they know everything about you. They know nothing about you. They see you on TV, they think, 'oh, she's this, she's that.... pic.twitter.com/eX25itOhR1

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 9, 2025

During her December 9 appearance on the conservative news network, Erika insisted that her headline-making controversies are just fodder and that she hears Charlie's voice in her head telling her not to listen. "Honestly, it's Charlie saying: 'Baby, just stop, stop,'" she said. "'You don't have to answer to every single person that's accusing you of things or saying that you're doing this, or grieving a certain way.'" Erika added that he would say, "'You know who you are and whose you are, and I'm here. I see you.'" This seemed like a direct response to the rumors of her adulterous relationship with Vice President Vance, referring to Erika's faith in God and that Charlie would want her to rise above the messiness. 

During an event for Turning Point USA in October, Erika Kirk was photographed in an embrace with JD Vance, sparking enormous backlash for the brief moment on stage. Netizens couldn't believe the seemingly intimate body language between the pair, where Vance held Erika's lower back, and Erika grasped the nape of the VP's neck. Erika subsequently went into damage control mode after the hug, and while the timing seemed suspicious, her remarks — coupled with what she told Fox News — sounded genuine.

Erika first addressed the controversial moment during a live interview with Megyn Kelly on November 24. "Whoever is, like, hating on a hug needs a hug themselves," the "Midweek Rise Up" host said, after Kelly called her a generally "intense hugger." She revealed how, in the moment, Vance told her how "proud" he thought Charlie Kirk would be of her, to which she responded with a pat on the neck while telling him, "God bless you." While it may not be enough of an explanation for some, Erika has decided not to waste energy trying to convince people she isn't Vance's secret lover.