"Did she WANT to do that, though?": Perez Hilton reacts after Erika Kirk claims she "wouldn’t get as much hate" if she touched JD Vance's "a**"

Perez Hilton weighed in after Erika Kirk publicly addressed the alleged affair rumors involving Vice President JD Vance, and claimed that she “wouldn’t get as much hate” if she had touched his “a**” as she had received for simply hugging him. In a November 25, 2025, article on his website, Hilton highlighted Erika’s remark and added:

“Did she WANT to do that, though? That’s the real question!”

For context, speculation about an alleged affair between Erika Kirk and JD Vance had stemmed from an emotional Turning Point USA event on October 29, seven weeks after the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk.

Taking the stage as TPUSA’s new CEO, Erika honored her husband’s legacy before introducing Vice President JD Vance. Her tribute was meant to connect Charlie’s ideals with Vance’s political presence. She expressed admiration by noting similarities between the two men and said she felt “blessed” to welcome Vance.

The moment that fueled viral debate came when Vance walked out to join her onstage, and they hugged. Erika briefly placed her hand on the back of Vance’s head, while he rested his hands on her waist.

Internet users closely analyzed and criticized the embrace, with many zooming in on their hand placements. For some observers, this hug appeared more intimate than expected for a grieving widow and a married vice president.

Erika Kirk recently addressed the criticism she had faced for hugging JD Vance publicly, on November 22, during a live interview with Megyn Kelly.

She argued that the outrage reflected online culture and its tendency to sexualize innocent gestures. Kelly agreed with her and said:

“They were acting like you touched the back of his a**!”

Erika laughed and joked that she might have received less backlash if she had.

“I feel like I wouldn’t get as much hate if I did that!” she said.

In his article, Perez Hilton reported Erika’s comments and her exchange with Kelly. He suggested that Erika’s attempt to address the rumors only added fuel to the fire, giving the rumors “more credibility.” According to the podcaster, her “caressing the back of his head may not have been that bad” but was “WAY more intimate than expected.”

Erika Kirk explains viral hug with Vice President JD Vance at Megyn Kelly’s live event

Erika Kirk publicly addressed the viral moment in which she embraced Vice President JD Vance, offering a detailed explanation during her appearance at Megyn Kelly’s live event on Saturday, November 22, at the Desert Diamond Arena in Phoenix.

Speaking to Kelly and the audience, Erika first clarified the emotional context of the moment. She explained that physical affection was her natural way of expressing care, telling the crowd that her “love language” was touch.

“My love language is touch, if you will,” she told the audience at the arena, where her husband’s sold-out memorial service had taken place two months earlier.

Erika then walked the audience through the moment step by step, emphasizing that the embrace unfolded during a highly emotional transition onstage.

“So I will give you a play-by-play: They just played the emotional video. I’m walking over, [JD] is walking over. I’m starting to cry,” Erika recounted.

She went on to explain the exchange that followed as Vance offered her words of encouragement.

“He says, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ And I say, ‘God bless you,’ and I touch the back of his head… Anyone whom I have hugged, that I have touched the back of your head when I hug you, I always say, ‘God bless you.’”

The hug was not an isolated gesture, as another People Magazine report noted. A little over a week after the ceremony, she attended the swearing-in of Sergio Gor as the new U.S. Ambassador to India.

Gor, a close friend of her late husband who previously worked with him on President Trump’s second inauguration transition team, received a similar embrace.

Additionally, Erika’s comments also came amid renewed curiosity about JD Vance’s family situation.

Just days before her appearance, outlets including People Magazine reported that Usha Vance, JD Vance’s wife, had been spotted without her wedding ring during a visit to Camp Lejeune with First Lady Melania Trump on November 19. Although unrelated, the timing intensified public scrutiny surrounding the viral hug.

Although Erika Kirk publicly addressed her viral hug with JD Vance, the latter has yet to comment on the matter.

On the other hand, Erika Kirk has recently voiced her support for the vice president, noting that Turning Point’s backing of JD Vance in a potential 2028 presidential run was already “in the works.”

Edited by Shayari Roy