JD Vance, Erika Kirk join Turning Point USA rally at Ole Miss

(NewsNation) — Vice President JD Vance was a special guest at the “This Is the Turning Point Tour” event at Ole Miss on Wednesday alongside Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, in a wide-ranging discussion.

The event, which came seven weeks after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, saw Vance and Erika Kirk speak on Charlie Kirk’s legacy and the future of the country for conservatives.

The new tour replaces the “American Comeback Tour” as TPUSA’s college speaking program after Kirk was shot and killed at the first stop in September.

Vance also fielded questions about many of the issues facing America today, including immigration, pro-Israeli policies, anti-abortion policies and constitutional freedoms.

‘You are the future of Charlie Kirk’s legacy’: Vance

Vance began his remarks by pointing out that students across the country will be the ones who carry on Kirk’s values.

“Charlie wanted all of you, whatever life path you chose, whatever career you chose, whatever you ultimately did for a living,” Vance said.

“Charlie wanted you, more than anything, to invest in the things that were worth having, to build a life that was worth building, and that started with the most important advice he ever gave you was fall in love, get married and start a family.”

Vance also pointed out that Kirk’s emphasis on free speech is what’s going to help students thrive to deal with conflict respectfully and rationally in the future.

“Charlie lived and died for the basic principle that we ought to be able to talk about our differences,” he said. “We ought to be able to debate them, and we ought to have faith that the best way to make sure the best ideas win is to actually have a discussion.”

‘Make him proud’: Erika Kirk to students

Erika Kirk made it clear that students on campuses and their ideas were the heartbeat of what made Turning Point USA special, and what Charlie Kirk was most passionate about.

“I want to encourage you, especially the students here, to find your voice,” she said. “You are the courageous generation.”

“All of you, Gen Z, you are the courageous generation. Hear me when I say that. My husband believed that to his core. That’s why he went on campuses. That’s why he was trying to reach you.”

Erika Kirk added that every time Turning Point had an event, one that Charlie Kirk was speaking at, he specifically found who in the audience was a Turning Point USA chapter leader or a chapter member.

“Whenever there was a student there, he would stop everything before the event and he would sit down with them,” she acknowledged.

“He would take the time to make sure that you guys knew he was investing into you, in your chapter, in your school, because that was a pulse point for him.”

Legal immigration in US a complicated matter: Vance

Since President Trump took office, immigration reform has been one of the policies at the forefront. But what about legal immigration?

A student asked Vance on the subject, to which the vice president said: “Legal immigration is complicated, because we let in about a million legal immigrants into the United States of America every single year, and I think the evidence is pretty clear that a lot of those immigrants are actually undercutting the wages of American workers.”

“It’s one of the reasons why the president of the United States and a lot of us in the administration have encouraged H-1B reform,” Vance added.

As for the government shutdown, Vance was adamant the Democrats are at fault.

“I know that I’m partisan, I know I have an R next to my name, but I feel pretty damn good saying the shutdown is the Democrats’ fault because we voted again and again to open,” Vance said.