By Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of the organization’s late founder Charlie Kirk, formally endorsed Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028 during her opening address Thursday at AmericaFest, marking one of the earliest high-profile endorsements of the next presidential cycle.
The four-day conference at the Phoenix Convention Center is the first AmericaFest held since Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September 2025, wrote The Daily Caller. Organizers framed the gathering as both a memorial to the conservative activist and a reaffirmation of the movement he helped build, centered on faith, grassroots organizing, and long-term political infrastructure.
Speaking before thousands of attendees, Kirk laid out a strategic vision for upcoming election cycles that emphasized sustained investment in battleground states rather than short-term campaign efforts.
“For both 2026 and 2028, we’re investing in states and not just in races. So, what I mean by that is we are building the red wall,” Kirk said. “Arizona, Nevada, New Hampshire, that’s going to be very important to us. We’re going to ensure that President Trump has Congress for all four years. We are going to get my husband’s friend, JD Vance, elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible.”
🚨 ERIKA KIRK at AmericaFest: "We are going to get my husband's friend J.D. Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible!" pic.twitter.com/9bvbACLs39
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) December 19, 2025
Her remarks drew sustained applause from the crowd, underscoring strong enthusiasm among younger conservatives for Vance, who is scheduled to deliver the conference’s closing keynote on Sunday.
Vance has not formally declared his intention to seek the presidency in 2028, but he is widely regarded as a leading contender to carry forward the MAGA agenda following President Donald Trump’s second term. Recent polling suggests a closely divided electorate in a potential general election matchup.
An Emerson College poll conducted in October 2025 showed Vance narrowly leading California Gov. Gavin Newsom, 46% to 45%, with 10% undecided—results consistent with similarly tight margins in earlier Emerson surveys.
President Trump has previously signaled confidence in Vance’s future prospects. In August 2025, Trump described the vice president as “probably favored” to succeed him as the standard-bearer of the movement. Trump has also floated Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a potential future running mate, while Rubio himself praised Vance during a Fox News appearance, calling him a “great nominee” should he choose to run.
Kirk’s endorsement represents a significant show of support from Turning Point USA, which has become a central force in mobilizing young voters and grassroots activists on the right. During her address, she pointed to expanded student engagement and the launch of new chapters nationwide as evidence of the organization’s growing reach.
AmericaFest will continue through the weekend with scheduled appearances by Donald Trump Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, Vivek Ramaswamy, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, as activists and conservative leaders debate the direction of the conservative movement beyond the Trump era.
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