Overview
- On the I’ve Had It podcast, Joy Reid speculated that Vice President J.D. Vance could leave his wife, Usha, for Erika Kirk to better appeal to the MAGA base, characterizing supporters as unwilling to accept a “brown Hindu” first lady.
- Reid referred to a viral October Turning Point USA clip of Vance hugging Erika Kirk, using it to suggest a hypothetical “white queen” scenario while noting she was not asserting it as fact.
- Erika Kirk dismissed the insinuations in a recent Megyn Kelly interview, saying critics were reading too much into a consoling embrace and describing her touch as a habitual gesture paired with “God bless you.”
- Coverage from outlets including Mediaite, Fox News, TV Insider, and The Federalist amplified Reid’s remarks, with Fox News noting it sought comment from the White House, Vance’s team, and TPUSA without immediate replies.
- Earlier this fall, Vance acknowledged urging his Hindu-raised wife to convert to Christianity, then clarified on X that she is not Christian and has no plans to convert, a clarification that remains part of the public record.