JD Vance wanted to focus on his current job, then Erika Kirk just handed him an untimely endorsement and created instant chaos

Erika Kirk, the chief executive of Turning Point USA and widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, just threw a major wrench into the Republican political cycle, announcing that she’s endorsing Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028. This is kicking off what is already shaping up to be an incredibly early GOP primary discussion, and frankly, it seems like Vance wasn’t quite ready for this spotlight yet.

Vance hasn’t formally said he’s running for president, though he’s definitely left the door open to the possibility. The vice president has made it clear that he believes getting caught up in the 2028 speculation actually makes him worse at the job the American people elected him to do today. He spoke about this last month in an interview with Sean Hannity.

He said, “I’ve thought about what that moment might look like after the midterm elections, sure, 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.” He added that if you start getting distracted and focus on what comes next, “I think it actually makes you worse at the job that you have.”

Erika Kirk might have started a cold war inside the GOP with her endorsement

Vance’s plan, he said, is to win the midterms and do everything possible to achieve that goal. After that major push, he stated, “I’m going to sit down with the president of the United States and talk to him about it.” So, this early endorsement from Kirk definitely forces the issue sooner than Vance likely intended.

Erika Kirk made her announcement at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in Phoenix. Her organization’s strategy isn’t just focused on races; she’s looking at investing heavily in specific states that she believes are crucial for the future. She told the crowd that for both 2026 and 2028, “we’re investing in states and not just in races.” This means TPUSA is building what she calls “the red wall,” focusing heavily on Arizona, Nevada, and New Hampshire.

Before delivering the big news about Vance, Kirk emphasized the immediate goal: “We’re going to ensure that President Trump has Congress for all four years.” Then she dropped the line that earned a huge round of applause, declaring, “We are going to get my husband’s friend, JD Vance, elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible.” Notably, she caused a huge online roar after hugging JD Vance publicly at a TPUSA event, and Usha Vance’s public appearance shortly after only fueled the fire.

This early 2028 primary talk is already messy, and Kirk’s comments came right as the conservative movement itself revealed some deep divisions at the Phoenix event. The same night, conservative commentators Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson were jabbing each other publicly. This friction comes amid ongoing criticism from some conservatives who aren’t happy about Carlson platforming far-right figures like Nick Fuentes.

The list of potential contenders for the post-Trump era is already long, which makes Kirk’s early move even more aggressive. People are already talking about Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. You also have Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul being floated as serious options. This means Vance has a massive target on his back years before the first caucus even begins.