A hug between US Vice President JD Vance and Erika Kirk, the widow of the late conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, got a lot of attention. Reactions ranged from suggestions that it was mildly inappropriate to downright nasty comments aimed at both individuals.
What did Erika Kirk say to JD Vance?
Now, The Mirror USA spoke to a professional lip reader to get some insight into what Erika Kirk had to say when she hugged the vice president. According to lip reader Nicola Hickling, before going to the podium to introduce Vice President Vance, Erika told her assistant, “I can’t do it, I don’t want to do it. Give me a minute.”
Also read | ‘No one will ever replace my husband, but…’: Erika compares late Charlie Kirk to JD Vance, emotional speech goes viral
After Erika got over her hesitation and took the stage, she introduced Vance and the two embraced. Vance reportedly told her, “I’m proud of you.” Erika responded by saying, “It won’t bring him back,” as the two disconnected.
Despite reports that the conversation was harmless, conspiracy theories flooded social media.
Body language experts analyze hugs
In addition to lip readers, body language experts were also called in to look into the warm embrace Erika Kirk shared with JD Vance on stage. Their observations are interesting.
HuffPost cited body language experts to analyze the thought process of the two individuals in the moment.
“That’s a super-intimate move, but it’s also controlling his attention — so she’s controlling what he’s looking at,” said body language expert Traci Brown, focusing specifically on Erika’s hand holding Vance’s head and hair.
People also criticized Vance for dropping his hands during Erika’s hug. An expert quoted by HuffPost also spoke about this.
Also read | ‘Every smile, every tear analyzed’: Erika Kirk speaks out after viral hug with JD Vance
“His hands go down to her hips, and that’s not formal, and that’s inappropriate in a lot of cases. But that’s what they do,” Brown added. While the debate about the nature and appropriateness of the hug continued, let’s see if it will add value to the discourse.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Erika Kirk?
Erika is the widow of Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed on September 10 of this year.
When did Erika hug VP JD Vance?
It was a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi on October 29.
Who was Charlie Kirk?
Charlie Kirk was a conservative activist and leader of Turning Point USA.
