Vice president speaks at Turning Point USA event in Athens after Erika Kirk skips the event, reportedly faced unspecified ‘threats.’
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Vice President JD Vance, alongside Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet (left), waves following a Turning Point USA event at Akins Ford Arena in Athens, Ga., on April 14, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
ATHENS — Vice President JD Vance, speaking here Tuesday at a Turning Point USA event, said the U.S. wants Iran “to join the world economy” and criticized Pope Leo XIV’s comments about the war.
His comments came after Erika Kirk, the conservative group’s CEO, canceled her appearance at the Georgia event. She received unspecified threats, according to a group spokesperson.
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Vice President JD Vance, alongside Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet (left), speaks during a Turning Point USA event at Akins Ford Arena in Athens, Ga., on April 14, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Students from various schools and universities wait in line for a Turning Point USA event featuring speakers including Vice President JD Vance at Akins Ford Arena in Athens, Ga., on April 14, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Fletcher Page is Athens bureau chief covering northeast Georgia for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
