Erika Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA and the widow of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, publicly endorsed Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028 during a speech at TPUSA’s Americafest conference on Thursday.

Addressing a cheering crowd, Kirk framed the endorsement as both personal and political. “We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected 48 in the most resounding way possible,” she said.

Vance has not announced plans to run for president in 2028, but polling consistently places him among the leading contenders in the Republican field. An endorsement from Turning Point USA, one of the most influential organizations in conservative youth and activist politics, could significantly strengthen his standing within the party.

Vance shared a close friendship with Charlie Kirk dating back to 2017 and has credited him with helping shape his rise in conservative politics. After Kirk was assassinated in Utah on September 10, Vance wrote that “so much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organize and convene.”

At a TPUSA event in October, Erika Kirk said that “no one will ever replace” her husband, but acknowledged that she sees “some similarities” between him and Vance. When the vice president joined her on stage at that event, the two embraced, a moment that sparked rumors and speculation across social media.

Kirk later addressed those reactions on a podcast hosted by Megyn Kelly, who noted that people “went to the weirdest places” after the hug. Kirk dismissed the speculation.

“Anyone whom I have hugged, that I have touched the back of your head when I hug you, I always say, ‘God bless you,’” she said. “If anyone wants to take that out of context, they can go right ahead.”

Vance is scheduled to speak later in the weekend at Americafest, which organizers expect to draw more than 30,000 attendees. His appearance comes as the conservative movement grapples with internal divisions, many of which were on full display at the conference.

During a Thursday speech, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro criticized MAGA influencers who have amplified conspiracy theories surrounding Charlie Kirk’s assassination. He warned that the movement is being undermined by figures who trade in misinformation, singling out Tucker Carlson for questioning the government’s investigation.

“The conservative movement is in danger from charlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle but actually traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty,” Shapiro said.

Carlson, who spoke shortly after Shapiro, rejected calls to marginalize controversial voices and said efforts to “deplatform and denounce” people accused of bigotry were a driving reason he supported Donald Trump. Carlson also said he supports Vance and described the current moment as a “proxy war” for the future of the conservative movement.

Notably absent from the conference was Candace Owens, a prominent MAGA influencer who has repeatedly promoted conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s death and accused Erika Kirk of seeking attention. Owens has previously claimed Kirk exhibits what she calls “Meghan Markle syndrome.”

Owens announced this week that she held an “extremely productive” four-and-a-half-hour meeting with Kirk and said tensions had eased. Kirk also described the meeting as “extremely productive,” suggesting a temporary cooling of one of the movement’s more public internal feuds.