Following Charlie Kirk’s tragic assassination in September, Erika Kirk has made quite a name for herself in the political and social world.
Erika took over her husband’s company – Turning Point USA – after his tragic death and has vowed to continue the legacy that he left behind.
Needless to say, it’s been rough for Erika, not only because of her husband’s death, but also because she is being heavily criticized on social media, with many accusing her of having a secret relationship with Vice President J.D. Vance.
At a recent Turning Point event, Erika was seen hugging Vance and touching the back of his head while whispering something to the vice president, thereby paving the way for endless rumors to surface online.
Days later, Vance’s wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, was spotted without a wedding ring, fueling speculation that indeed a relationship between Erika and the vice president is plausible.
Nonetheless, the second lady sent a straightforward message to the theorists on Tuesday while attending the White House Thanksgiving turkey pardon event.
Usha wore her wedding ring.
The second lady was seen not wearing the ring while addressing service members with First Lady Melania Trump at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Usha told a spokesman that she “is a mother of three young children who does a lot of dishes, gives lots of baths, and forgets her ring sometimes,” according to the Daily Mail.
Following this, she decided to wear her wedding ring during the White House event, further debunking the wild rumors.
In addition to Erika, other rumors suggested that the reason Usha was apparently angry toward her husband was that he was converting her from Hinduism. The vice president is a Roman Catholic.
In an interview with conservative commentator Megyn Kelly on Friday, Erika addressed the controversial hug with Vance.
“My love language is touch, if you will … So I will give you a play-by-play. They just played the emotional video. I’m walking over, he’s walking over. I’m starting to cry. He says, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ And I say, ‘God bless you,’ and I touch the back of his head,” she said. “Anyone whom I have hugged that I have touched the back of your head when I hug you, I always say, God bless you.”
Despite Usha and Vance pouring cold water on the conspiracy theories, it seems some believe that a reversal of the roles would benefit Vance.
According to former MSNBC host Joy Reid, Vance is better off marrying Erika than Usha for political benefit.
“Wouldn’t it be the most perfect MAGA fairytale if [JD Vance] finally sees the light that he needs a white queen [Erika Kirk] instead of this brown Hindu [Usha Vance],” Reid said.
