AmericaFest, Turning Point USA’s first major gathering since Charlie Kirk’s death, was overshadowed by onstage feuding among prominent MAGA figures. Ben Shapiro excoriated those he called “frauds and grifters,” criticized Tucker Carlson for amplifying Nick Fuentes, and condemned unfounded conspiracy talk about Kirk’s death. Carlson pushed back, Erika Kirk urged unity amid disagreement, and confrontations in the crowd underscored a wider dispute over mainstreaming extremist voices.
AmericaFest Erupts: Onstage Feuds and Fury at Charlie Kirk Memorial
Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson were all smiles during their more-than-two-hour interview broadcast in October. / The Tucker Carlson Show
Turning Point USA’s first AmericaFest since the September killing of founder Charlie Kirk devolved into public infighting as prominent MAGA-aligned figures traded barbs onstage and tensions spilled into the crowd.
What was intended as a memorial to Kirk instead became a forum for intra-movement disputes over which voices should be welcomed into the conservative mainstream. On opening night, influencers and commentators aired long‑running grievances about one another in front of delegates and cameras, highlighting an internal struggle over the movement’s direction.
Erika Kirk met with Candace Owens in a bid to get the podcaster to stop sharing false claims about Charlie Kirk's death. / Jason Davis/Getty Images
Ben Shapiro delivered some of the event’s sharpest criticisms, accusing prominent personalities of being "frauds and grifters" and arguing that platforming extremists was a moral failure. He said Kirk had “despised” Nick Fuentes and called giving Fuentes a forum "an act of moral imbecility." Shapiro also criticized the elevation of other controversial internet figures and accused some attendees of mainstreaming problematic commentators.
“That is precisely what Tucker Carlson did. He built Nick Fuentes up, and you ought to take responsibility for that,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro also rebuked podcaster Candace Owens for amplifying unfounded theories about Kirk’s death — including suggestions involving foreign intelligence or Turning Point itself — saying speculation without evidence is misleading and harmful. He additionally faulted other media figures for failing to call out those conspiratorial claims.
Erika Kirk, widow of late right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, speaks at Turning Point's annual AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Arizona. / Olivier Touron / AFP via Getty Images
Tucker Carlson responded onstage, opening with a quip about arriving late and mockingly criticizing the idea of deplatforming speakers at what was meant to be a memorial event. His remarks underscored the split between those who oppose giving certain figures a platform and those who argue for broader inclusion.
Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, acknowledged divisions among speakers and audience members. “You won’t agree with everyone on this stage this weekend,” she said. “And that’s OK. Welcome to America.”
Outside the podiums, tensions nearly turned physical. Video posted online showed a confrontation between Blaze host John Doyle and a supporter of Fuentes — one of the so‑called "Groypers" who often try to gatecrash GOP events. Observers noted that debates over whether to mainstream Fuentes and similar figures now sit at the center of post‑Kirk turmoil within MAGA.
As commentator Will Sommer of The Bulwark observed on X, Charlie Kirk had previously resisted efforts to normalize Fuentes; his absence appears to have shifted the event’s dynamics, with some attendees seemingly more willing to welcome extremist voices into GOP circles.
