A high-profile appearance featuring Vice President JD Vance went forward in Georgia without one of its key figures after safety concerns prompted a last-minute change.
According to the New York Post, Erika Kirk, the head of Turning Point USA, canceled her scheduled appearance at an event in Athens after receiving what her organization described as serious threats.
Instead, spokesman Andrew Kolvet took the stage and explained her absence to attendees gathered to hear from the vice president.
“I’m going to address it right at the front, Mr. Vice President, I’m on stage here instead of our friend Erika Kirk because, unfortunately, she has received some very serious threats in her direction,” Kolvet said.
The event still moved forward, with Vance appearing as planned after consulting with his security team.
“Obviously, these guys do a very good job,” he said of his Secret Service detail, “and I said, ‘You know what? Let’s let Erika do what she needs to do for herself and her family. I’m sure Andrew will fill in, and let’s go and make this an amazing event.’”
Kolvet criticized the climate surrounding Kirk, saying the threats reflected broader issues.
“It’s a terrible reflection on the state of reality and the state of the country,” he said, adding that some individuals have made “part-time jobs out of attacking Erika.”
Vance also addressed the situation directly, expressing concern over both the threats and the scrutiny Kirk has faced in recent months.
He described the challenges she has endured since the death of her husband, Charlie Kirk, last year.
The vice president said she has been dealing with “two separate living hells” — the loss of her husband and the criticism that followed.
“Everybody is attacking her over everything, and they’re lying about her, and it’s one of the most disgraceful things that I’ve ever seen in public life,” Vance said.
He also pushed back against claims circulating online.
“The people telling you that Erika wasn’t grieving her husband are full of s–t,” he said.
Vance further criticized conspiracy theories surrounding the circumstances of her husband’s death, calling them “so preposterous and so disgusting.”
Kolvet later emphasized the seriousness of the threats facing Kirk and her family.
“She has to live with this constant reality that her kids are one parent away from being orphans,” he said. “We take that extremely seriously.”
Despite her absence, the event continued with heightened attention on security and the circumstances that led to her decision to stay away.
