Steve Bannon intensified a public showdown with Ben Shapiro at Turning Point USA's AmFest after Shapiro denounced Candace Owens for promoting baseless theories about Charlie Kirk's death. The confrontation followed rapid responses from Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Owens, and culminated with Bannon labeling Shapiro a longtime "never-Trumper" and accusing him of backing an "Israel First" agenda. The episode highlights growing rifts among conservative commentators over Trump, Israel policy and the future of the MAGA movement.
Bannon Escalates Feud With Ben Shapiro At TPUSA AmFest, Accuses Him Of Being A 'Never-Trumper' And Backing An 'Israel First' Agenda
Steve Bannon joined a widening chorus of criticism directed at Ben Shapiro during Turning Point USA's AmFest on Friday night, intensifying a public clash among prominent conservative voices over Trump, Israel and the future of the MAGA movement.
Shapiro had addressed the conference the previous evening, sharply condemning Candace Owens for promoting baseless conspiracy theories about the September death of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk. Owens, who previously worked with Shapiro at The Daily Wire, has suggested possible Israeli government involvement in Kirk's death — claims widely described as unsubstantiated. Shapiro accused those who stayed silent of complicity.
“The people who refuse to condemn Candace’s truly vicious attacks, and some of them are speaking here, are guilty of cowardice. Yes, cowardice,” Shapiro said, adding that Owens had been "vomiting all sorts of hideous and conspiratorial nonsense into the public square for years."
The dispute prompted rapid rebuttals: Tucker Carlson responded to Shapiro shortly after his remarks; Megyn Kelly criticized Shapiro the next day; and Owens issued a profanity-laced rebuke of Shapiro on her podcast.
Hours later, Bannon — the former Trump adviser and ex-head of Breitbart, where Shapiro once worked — used his AmFest platform to attack Shapiro's record and motives. Bannon described Shapiro as a longtime "never-Trumper" and accused him of aligning with what Bannon called an "Israel First" or "Greater Israel" faction, a characterization observers note is contentious and politically charged.
"Now, Benji Shapiro sat up here last night, and he was all, you know, 'It's all about the truth.' Ben, I've known you a long time, brother. You can't handle the truth... Ben Shapiro is the farthest thing from MAGA. Let's be blunt. He is a hardcore never-Trumper... The first sign of — when President Trump gets sent back to Mar-a-Lago, the very first individual that jumped on the Ron DeSantis train, the Israel First train, was Ben Shapiro."
Bannon went on to describe "Greater Israel" as, in his words, an expansionist vision he attributed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters, and he named other commentators — including Mark Levin — as part of an "Israel First" crowd. Levin, a Fox News host, recently praised former President Trump and previously called him "the first Jewish president" for his pro-Israel positions; Levin and Bannon have also traded sharp accusations in the past.
The exchanges at TPUSA underscore deepening divisions within conservative media about loyalty to Trump, approaches to U.S.-Israel policy and the future direction of the MAGA movement. Supporters and critics on all sides have amplified the dispute, signaling sustained intra-conservative tensions rather than a quick resolution.
