JD Vance has canceled a planned college appearance with Erika Kirk and activist group Turning Point USA.
The vice president was set to appear on stage at Iowa State University on Thursday as part of the organization’s spring tour. But TPUSA has now confirmed that Vance is giving the event a miss.
Organizers insisted, however, that the cancellation had nothing to do with the attack on the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in D.C. on Saturday.
“To be clear, this is not due to security concerns related to recent events,” a TPUSA spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News. “This is simply a matter of scheduling conflicts.”
Vance had also planned to accompany U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn for a campaign event earlier Thursday, but this has been pushed back until May 5.
Both Vance and Kirk, the CEO of TPUSA and the widow of slain activist Charlie Kirk, were seen being bundled out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday after a gunman tried to attack the hotel ballroom where it was being held. “I just want to go home,” a tearful Kirk was heard muttering in a video as security rushed her to the exit.
After she composed herself, she posted on X to inform her followers that she would discuss the drama on her late husband’s podcast on Wednesday. “Saturday was yet another traumatic example of the evil in our country and the continued rise in political violence. I’m taking time to spend with my family,” she said.
“I will be joining The Charlie Kirk Show Wednesday at 12PM ET to briefly address what took place. Enough is enough.”
Cole Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California, was charged on Monday with trying to assassinate the president. He was stopped by security outside the Washington Hilton ballroom, where President Donald Trump and senior administration officials were gathered along with more than 2,000 journalists and guests.
Earlier this month, Erika Kirk was the one who snubbed Vance at a different TPUSA event. She cited “threats” in her decision to avoid the University of Georgia chapter of the tour on April 14.
“I was so looking forward to tonight’s event at the @universityofga with our Vice President @JDVance, but after all our family has been through, I take my security team’s recommendations extremely seriously. Thank you to our amazing Georgia chapter for your support. God bless you all!” she posted.
“I love Erika, and I know that she did get some threats,” Vance said on stage. “About two hours ago... I was a little worried that we were going to have to cancel the event because Erika was not going to come, and she was very worried about it.”
He said he was satisfied after a consultation with his security detail and decided to proceed with the event with Kirk’s stand-in, TPUSA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet.
Vance still had to contend with a poor turnout at the event. Footage showed the arena o about a quarter-full as the vice president fielded questions from students.
He was even heckled. As Vance was speaking, an audience member shouted out, “Jesus Christ does not support genocide.”
The vice president responded to “whoever yelled that out from the dark,” and said, “Yes, I agree, Jesus Christ certainly does not support genocide... I think that’s a pretty easy principle.”
The heckler, unhappy with President Donald Trump’s war on Iran, later shouted, “You’re killing children, you’re bombing children!”
TPUSA has an event scheduled for Tuesday at the University of Idaho. It will feature conservative political commentators Michael Knowles and Matt Walsh.
