University Students Chant “48” As Vice President JD Vance Takes The Stage At TPUSA Event

Vice President JD Vance appears to have young conservative voters backing.

On Wednesday night, Vice President JD Vance took the stage at a TPUSA Event at the University of Mississippi and was met with a standing ovation.

As Vance stood behind the podium, he was met with “48” chants.

In response Vance told the crowd, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

Watch the moment here:

🚨 HOLY CRAP! The TPUSA crowd of thousands just went HAYWIRE and started chanting "48! " at JD VANCE! 🔥

CROWD: *Standing ovation*

VANCE: Thank you! Please! I-

CROWD MEMBER: 48!

VANCE: I don't know what you're saying!

CROWD: 48! 48! 48!

VANCE: "Let's not get ahead of… pic.twitter.com/Dz4v2a1BVi

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 30, 2025

The Hill provided more details of the event:

The event at the University of Mississippi marked the only stop on the Turning Point USA tour attended by Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow. Other conservatives, such as Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson, have attended other campus stops in recent weeks.

Vance was a close personal friend of Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder, who was shot and killed in September during a campus event at Utah Valley University. Erika Kirk has since taken over as head of Turning Point USA.

Vance later drew applause when he told the questioner his job as vice president “is not to look out for the interests of the world; it’s to look out for the people of the United States.”

One student asked Vance whether President Trump had a conflict of interest in setting policy toward Israel because one of his top donors, Miriam Adelson, was a staunch advocate of pro-Israel policies. Vance said he did not see a conflict of interest, noting Adelson is open about her views.

One attendee asked Vance about the issue of requiring Christianity in public schools, while another asked the vice president how he planned to extend an olive branch to Democrats to close the social and political divide in the country. Vance noted he had areas of agreement with Democrats on policy, including on breaking up corporate monopolies.

At one point, those in attendance chanted “48” at Vance, a nod to a potential 2028 run to serve as the 48th president.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, ladies and gentlemen,” Vance said.

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Here are some highlights:

JD Vance takes question regarding Israel and Miriam Adelson at latest TPUSA rally. pic.twitter.com/aei3X5WtJ6

— Drunk Chowder (@TheDrunkChowder) October 30, 2025

When I think of the most important lessons of Charlie Kirk's life, this was a man who to his dying breath never lost hope in the United States of America.

Despair is a sin. Keep on fighting for this country in Charlie's memory🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/1722SzwS0c

— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 30, 2025

NBC News reported Vance shared to the crowd one of his last phone conversations with Kirk:

Vice President JD Vance recalled here Wednesday an angry phone call from conservative activist Charlie Kirk in the months before his death — an example, Vance said, of his late friend’s commitment to firm but polite debate.

Kirk, Vance said, was worried whether President Donald Trump’s posture in the Middle East would lead to a long and protracted military conflict involving U.S. troops.

Vance, speaking to supporters of Kirk’s Turning Point USA organization at the University of Mississippi, called it a “great moment for our country” and for his friendship with Kirk, “because friendship is not just about telling everybody what they want to hear.”

“It’s about having the trust in another human being that you can tell them they’re wrong and actually encourage them to change their mind or, in that case, not necessarily even tell us that we were wrong but make sure that we were thinking about all the options,” Vance added.

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Kirk, 31, was killed during an appearance last month at Utah Valley University. Kirk, a conservative activist who was a close ally of Vance and Trump, was known for taking his message to college campuses, energizing others on the right and relishing debate with those on the left.