Kirk, who serves as CEO of Turning Point USA, was scheduled to appear alongside the vice president at the University of Georgia

NEED TO KNOW

  • Erika Kirk has canceled her appearance at a Turning Point USA event in Georgia due to receiving “serious threats,” per a spokesperson
  • Vice President JD Vance expressed concerns about the event’s safety and consulted with the Secret Service
  • Kirk has led Turning Point USA since her husband, Charlie Kirk, was killed during an event in 2025

Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, backed out of appearing at a Turning Point USA event in Athens, Ga., with Vice President JD Vance, who said she was “worried” about “some threats.”

Kirk, 37, received “some very serious threats in her direction,” Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet said, according to Fox News. Vance, 41, also said he was concerned the entire event would be canceled and spoke with the Secret Service about it.

“I know that she did get some threats, and about two hours ago I was a little worried we were going to have to cancel the event because Erika was not going to come,” the vice president said during his remarks to students at the University of Georgia, according to WSB-TV. “She was very worried about it.”

PEOPLE reached out to Turning Point USA and the Secret Service, but did not immediately hear back.

 

Kirk has been the CEO of Turning Point USA since her husband was shot and killed in September 2025. She was scheduled to appear with Vance and Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones at the event.

Vance and Kirk have appeared onstage together in the past. On Oct. 29, 2025, the two shared a viral hug when he was introduced at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, seven weeks after Kirk’s husband was killed.

“No one will ever replace my husband,” Kirk told the audience as she introduced Vance. “But I do see some similarities of my husband in JD— in Vice President JD Vance. I do. And that’s why I am so blessed to be able to introduce him tonight.”

Related Stories

Days after the hug, Kirk told Fox News that Vance has “been a blessing.”

“Him and Usha, they are the most incredible people. Incredible. With such genuine love,” Kirk said, referring to Vance’s wife, Usha Vance. “I mean, just everything they did for us was so humanized. They just, they were there for us. They’ve been there for us.”

Charlie was shot and killed during an outdoor Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was 31. The suspect in the shooting, Tyler Robinson, faces murder charges and prosecutors said they plan to seek the death penalty.