‘Vance announces divorce, marries Charlie Kirk’s widow’, claims NYT author after viral hug, no reaction yet from wife Usha

Viral videos of US Vice-President JD Vance interacting with Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk at a recent campus event have sparked a wave of social media speculation.

The two appeared together at a Turning Point USA programme at the University of Mississippi on Wednesday, where Erika introduced Vance on stage and the pair shared a hug. Clips and photos from the event have since been widely circulated online.

The chatter escalated after New York Times author Shannon Watts shared the images in a post on X. Watts claimed that Vance would announce divorce and marry Erika by the end of next year. Her post has drawn 8.5 million views.

The speculation unfolded amid Vance’s remarks at the same event, where he said he “hoped” his wife, Usha Vance, would one day embrace Christianity. The comment drew attention because Usha, who is of Indian origin, is Hindu. Some political analysts in the US conservative circle have argued that Vance’s religious positioning could play a role in his prospective 2028 presidential ambitions.

Also read: Usha has no plans to convert: US VP Vance amid row over interfaith marriage remarks

However, Vance moved quickly to shut down both the religious speculation and the personal rumours.

In a statement posted on X on Saturday, he wrote thathis wife has “no plans to convert,” adding, “Usha is the best person I know. Period.” He did not directly reference the viral posts about Kirk.