EXCLUSIVE DETAILS: Charlie Kirk's Widow Erika and JD Vance Fuel 'Romance Rumors' On Social Media After 'Extremely Handsy' Appearance Goes Viral
An X user claimed the interaction between Erika Kirk and JD Vance was 'bizarre.'
Oct. 31 2025, Published 3:30 p.m. ET
Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, and JD Vance have set social media ablaze with "romance rumors" after their interaction at a Turning Point USA event went viral, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Erika and Vance were seen embracing, with the 36-year-old placing her hand in his hair, something that one person on X pointed out seemed "incredibly intimate."
People Go Off on JD Vance and Erika Kirk's Hug
An X user called the photo of Erika Kirk and JD Vance hugging 'wild.'
Users rabidly dissected the interaction, with a critic blasting it as "bizarre" and insisting they couldn't remember a time they "hugged someone like this who was not my own Mr."
Another pointed out her leather pants as a bone of contention, asking if there were "any married ladies here... God forbid you lose the love of your life, would you act and dress like this for another man not even three months after?"
"I have (male) friends I've known for decades, and I have never hugged them like that," another user exclaimed. "Also thought the same thing about the pleather pants – very inappropriate. I wear pleather pants, but you have to know when/where to wear them."
Still, one person blasted the photo as "wild" and purported it showed Erika was "really comfortable and at ease with" Vance.
Erika Kirk's Defenders Step In for Widow
In defending Erika Kirk's hugging JD Vance, someone pointed out she hugged President Trump 'the same way.'
Not all of the comments on X were negative, though, as Erika and Vance's embrace had some supporters.
"It's almost as if she went through some unimaginable trauma that none of us could relate to," one person shared, defending Erika.
Another pointed out that she hugged President Trump "the same way" and people need to "stop trashing" her.
In terms of her attire, one user didn't understand the issue, asking, "What are you talking about? She can wear leather pants if she wants to."
A Body Language Expert Weighs in on Awkward Interaction
A body language expert said JD Vance and Erika Kirk's interaction showed a lack of 'formality.'
Body Language Expert and Behavior Analyst Traci Brown spoke to RadarOnline.com to share her thoughts on the sizzling hot topic of Vance and Erika's hug.
"She tilts her head as soon as she sees him," Brown, who authored How to Detect Lies, Fraud and Identity Theft, told us. "That's deep recognition and affection."
Brown noted their body language showed a lack of "formality" and that "her hand on the back of his head" showed "deep closeness."
She also revealed they seemed to have a "deep connection."
Erika Kirk Praised JD Vance for Being Similar to Charlie
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Erika Kirk said she saw 'similiarites' between JD Vance and Charlie Kirk.
For her part, Erika spoke out to praise Vance during her appearance at the Turning Point USA event.
"No one will ever replace my husband, no," she shared. "But I do see some similarities of my husband in JD, in Vice President JD Vance. I do. And that's why I'm so blessed to be able to introduce him tonight, because he understands the fight that we're up against and he can articulate that in a way that transcends – he's an amazing man."
Charlie was assassinated on September 10 while appearing at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. After being shot in the neck, he was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead.
