Vice President J.D. Vance announced Wednesday that he will be appearing at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi on Oct. 29.
Erika Kirk, the widow of slain Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, will also appear at the Oxford, Mississippi, campus.
“Part of keeping Charlie’s memory alive is keeping the mission alive,” Vance said in a video posted to X.
“And nobody can replace Charlie, but if we all just sort of take little pieces, we can do as much as we can to ensure that Charlie’s mission continues to survive long after he’s gone. And part of that is these college campus tours,” he said on “The Charlie Kirk Show.”
BREAKING: @VP to join Mrs. Erika Kirk at Ole Miss on October 29th as part of the TPUSA tour.
“I’m excited about it… part of keeping Charlie’s memory alive is keeping the mission alive.” pic.twitter.com/SLvDz2tjhq
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 15, 2025
“I’m going to do exactly what Charlie did,” he said.
“My plan is to give a little speech, talk a little bit about the issues of the day, but turn most of it over to just do Q&A with the audience. I want to hear from these kids, I want to answer questions from them.”
Vance said Kirk made connections by engaging in give-and-take with students of all stripes.
“I want to do what Charlie did because I think that engaged them. It was something that was such a big part of Charlie’s legacy,” he said.
“It’s not just that he went and talked to people or talked about issues he cared about. It’s that he actually interacted with people.”
“He would answer tough questions from the left and from the right, and so I want to do that too,” Vance said.
The event at Ole Miss will be the only one at which Erika Kirk will make an appearance.
Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet said Erika Kirk needs time to grieve for her assassinated husband, according to Fox News.
Vance said striking a balance is essential for Kirk’s widow as she raises their family alone.
“I hope that she continues to kind of yes, keep Charlie’s mission alive, and yes, do everything you guys are doing at Turning Point USA, but I also hope that she continues to grieve a little bit and to carve out some time for her and her family,” Vance said.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump honored Charlie Kirk with a posthumous presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In a proclamation declaring Oct. 14 a National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk, Trump wrote, “Every day, Charlie devoted himself to a set of simple causes: Defending the truth, encouraging debate, and spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was gracious and articulate beyond measure, always welcomed opposing perspectives, and never deviated from his noble goal of bridging our political, cultural, and philosophical divides.”
“In Charlie’s absence, we are now tasked with continuing his mission of giving voice to our cherished American ideals with confidence and clarity. Like him, we must not flinch in the face of darkness and hostility — and we must never waver in speaking the truth with joyful and steadfast resolve,” Trump wrote.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.