The back-and-forth between former MSNBC host Joy Reid and Turning Point USA president Erika Kirk intensified after AmericaFest 2025, with Reid using her platform to double down on sharp personal and political attacks.
According to Fox News, the clash traces back to remarks Kirk made onstage at the conservative conference, where she poked fun at Reid during her opening comments.
Kirk joked that Reid could use a “really good hug” and quipped that she would even touch the back of Reid’s head.
The line was a callback to Reid’s previous criticism of Kirk over the way she hugged Vice President JD Vance at a Turning Point USA event.
Reid was unmoved by the gesture and responded forcefully on her show the following day, revisiting her earlier criticisms and rejecting Kirk’s offer outright.
“The last thing I will say to Erika Kirk is this: Dear young lady, I don’t need a hug from you,” Reid said. “First of all, I would never let you get close enough to hug me ’cause I don’t trust you. And second of all, I don’t know if anybody ever told you – you’re pretty young – but don’t be offering to touch Black women’s hair. We don’t allow it. This is not the 19-teens. It’s not the 1920s or the 1930s. You cannot come up to me, touch me, or touch my hair. It won’t go. I don’t allow it. So, don’t offer to do that because that’s not going to happen.”
Reid also revisited her controversial commentary involving Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, standing by claims that her remarks were being mischaracterized.
“MAGA is the one doing the racism. Not me. All I’m saying is the ultimate MAGA fairytale would be for JD to leave Usha Vance alone and go run off with Charlie Kirk’s widow. It brings like the houses of MAGA together,” Reid said.
She went on to argue that criticism aimed at her comments ignored what she described as broader issues within the MAGA base, particularly regarding race and gender roles.
Turning her focus back to Kirk, Reid suggested the TPUSA leader should concentrate on managing her organization and navigating expectations from conservative supporters.
“You need to take care of minding your business, which is to keep that $80 million rolling in and figure out how you’re going to get those White Christian nationalists who follow Turning Point USA to understand why you working and not home with your children who now don’t have a daddy,” Reid said. “You are now a single mom, which they oppose.”
Reid closed by returning to her criticism of Kirk’s public appearances and interactions.
“You’re going to have to now figure out how you’re going to explain to your Turning Point USA base why you working and why you out rubbing on JD Vance’s back of his head and offering to rub on the back of mine instead of home with your kids because their ideology is that your behind should be in your house. That’s all I’m going to say.”
