At AmericaFest in Phoenix, Ben Shapiro publicly denounced several conservative figures for promoting or tolerating conspiracy theories about the September killing of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, including unproven claims implicating Israel or TPUSA staff. Steve Bannon and others pushed back, framing the clash as a proxy fight over U.S. policy toward Israel and influence ahead of 2028. Prosecutors in Utah have charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson and are seeking the death penalty; he has not yet entered a plea. The dispute highlighted deepening divisions in the MAGA movement and drove intense debate among attendees.
MAGA Split Over Israel and Influence Erupts at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest
U.S. conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro speaks during Turning Point's annual AmericaFest conference in remembrance of late right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, in Phoenix on Thursday. (Olivier Touron / AFP - Getty Images)
PHOENIX — A long-simmering feud among MAGA-aligned influencers boiled over during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest, the group's first major conference since the September slaying of its co-founder, Charlie Kirk.
On the event's opening night, podcaster Ben Shapiro publicly rebuked several prominent right-wing figures — including Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, Candace Owens and Megyn Kelly — and denounced white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Shapiro accused some of tolerating or amplifying conspiracy theories about Kirk's death that have suggested possible involvement by foreign governments, including Israel, or by Turning Point USA staff.
"The conservative movement is also in danger from charlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle but actually traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty," Shapiro said. "Those of us with a microphone have a moral obligation to call that out by name."
Prosecutors in Utah have charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in the killing and are seeking the death penalty; he has not yet entered a plea. Shapiro singled out Owens for promoting unproven theories and criticized Carlson for giving Fuentes a platform, calling Fuentes "a Hitler apologist, Nazi-loving, anti-American piece of refuse." He also accused Bannon of smearing opponents by alleging their loyalty lies with a foreign country.
From the same Phoenix Convention Center stage on Friday night, Steve Bannon fired back, accusing Shapiro of trying to seize control of Turning Point USA and of putting Israel's interests ahead of America's.
"Ben Shapiro is like a cancer, and that cancer spreads," Bannon declared to loud applause.
The clash has become a flashpoint over U.S. policy toward Israel and a sign of jockeying for influence as President Donald Trump’s final term continues and the 2028 campaign approaches. Bannon framed the dispute as a "proxy on '28," saying Kirk opposed what Bannon called a push for "greater Israel and Israel first."
In the months before his death, Kirk sometimes questioned U.S. backing for certain Israeli policies — asking his followers in June whether the U.S. should "get involved in Israel's war against Iran." That debate has helped drive deeper divisions within the MAGA base over the past year.
Other speakers and attendees reacted differently. Tucker Carlson told the audience he was not antisemitic and urged unity rather than deplatforming. Megyn Kelly pushed back at Shapiro's accusation that she was cowardly and dismissed the idea that he could "excommunicate" people from the conservative movement.
Several conferencegoers told reporters they saw robust disagreement as healthy but acknowledged the split over Israel is widening. Scott Whitely, who traveled from Oregon, said the rift over Israel predates Kirk's death. Taylor Winston of Nashville called the dispute a proxy fight that is forcing people to choose sides and urged "full transparency" about what happened to Kirk.
Despite the acrimony, some influencers said the exchanges boosted attention for AmericaFest and Turning Point USA. Conservative figure Jack Posobiec quipped that the controversy drove engagement: "I thought it was great. Got a lot of clicks."
The episode underscores how internal disputes among prominent conservatives — about conspiracism, Israel policy and personal influence — are shaping the movement's public face as it heads toward the next presidential cycle.
