Turning Point USA announced via Instagram Wednesday that Vice President JD Vance and Charlie Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk, will speak at the University of Mississippi on Wednesday, Oct. 29 as part of the “This is the Turning Point Tour.”
Before TPUSA Founder and CEO Charlie Kirk was killed at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, he was scheduled to appear on the UM campus for “The American Comeback Tour” on Oct. 29.
“It is an honor for the university to welcome the nation’s Vice President and Mrs. Kirk to our campus,” UM News and Media Relations Director Jacob Batte said in a statement to The Daily Mississippian. “As a public institution with a dynamic learning environment, the university is pleased for our students to have the opportunity to engage with Vice President Vance and Mrs. Kirk on issues of the day.”
Lesley Lachman, president of Ole Miss Turning Point USA, provided the following statement following the announcement that Vance and Erika Kirk would speak at UM:
“We are thrilled that the work of Charlie is going to go on and even grow,” Lachman said in a text to The Daily Mississippian. “This announcement of Erika and Vice President Vance stepping in demonstrates the importance of Turning Point USA and its message. Ole Miss is a shining example of (c)onservative values while being an elite university in the U.S., so it is no wonder we will be amplifying it from Oxford.”
The event will take place in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion, with doors opening at 3 p.m. and speakers set to begin at 5 p.m. Event information can be found on the official TPUSA website.
Batte provided details about security protocol for the event in his statement.
“The safety of our campus community is always our top priority,” Batte said. “While we cannot share specific security measures for safety reasons, University Police are working closely with event organizers and public safety officials to uphold a secure campus environment.”
Rhodes Canfield, a senior sports and recreation administration major from San Diego, expressed his excitement about Vance coming to campus.
“I feel like after the death of Charlie (Kirk), it’s huge for Turning Point to get someone at such a high position to come and speak here,” Canfield said. “It really shows that the movement is and was about more than just Charlie — it’s about his ideas and the conservatism he brought to the table.”
Loki Swain, a sophomore multidisciplinary studies major and Oxford native, does not agree with Vance or Erika Kirk politically but encourages people to go to the event and have “productive conversations.”
“While I strongly disagree with JD Vance and Erika Kirk on almost every political stance they uphold, they should be welcomed in coming to college campuses while having dialogue and debate and encouraging productive conversations,” Swain said.
Swain plans to attend the event.
“Whatever our differences, we all benefit when we treat each other with basic dignity and respect — just as the Ole Miss Creed says. I plan to go to the event to hear and learn about different viewpoints,” Swain said.
The Daily Mississippian reached out to the Office of the Vice President for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Aidan Poniatowski and Noah Walters contributed reporting.
