Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest devolved into a series of public clashes that exposed deep divisions within the conservative movement. Ben Shapiro launched a blistering critique of fellow commentators, prompting swift and personal rebuttals from figures including Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon and Megyn Kelly. The conference also highlighted sharp disagreements over Israel and accusations of antisemitism, a growing profile for the MAHA movement, and Vice President J.D. Vance’s call for a broad, inclusive MAGA coalition defined by patriotism.
What You Missed at Turning Point USA’s Turbulent AmericaFest: Feuds, Factionalism and New Alliances
TOPSHOT - Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk, widow of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, speaks during Turning Point's annual AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Arizona on December 18, 2025. (Photo by Olivier Touron / AFP via Getty Images)(OLIVIER TOURON via Getty Images)
PHOENIX — At the midpoint of Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest, Erika Kirk tried to frame the gathering with a smile amid visible tensions.
“Say what you want about AmFest, but it’s definitely not boring,” Kirk said, noting she has led the conservative group since the death of her husband, Charlie, last September. “Feels like a Thanksgiving dinner where your family’s hashing out the family business.”
Erika Kirk greets Vice President JD Vance during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Factional Fighting On The Main Stage
What followed felt less like a unified rally and more like an airing of long-simmering disputes. Some of the movement’s highest-profile figures spent more time attacking one another than confronting liberal opponents, delivering personal barbs from the convention’s main stage and deepening visible rifts within the broader conservative coalition.
Shapiro Takes Aim At Fellow Commentators
Ben Shapiro, co-founder of the Daily Wire, set a combative tone in the first major address after Kirk’s remarks, sharply criticizing a number of fellow conservative media personalities for what he characterized as moral and rhetorical failures.
CEO and Chair of the Board of Turning Point USA Erika Kirk (L) speaks with US rapper Nicki Minaj during Turning Point's annual AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Arizona on December 21, 2025. This year's conference commemorates the late right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot on a Utah college campus in September, sparking an outpouring of grief among conservatives and prompting President Donald Trump to threaten a crackdown on the "radical left." (Photo by Olivier Touron / AFP via Getty Images)(OLIVIER TOURON via Getty Images)
“Candace Owens has been vomiting all sorts of hideous and conspiratorial nonsense into the public square for years,” Shapiro said, also calling Megyn Kelly “guilty of cowardice” for declining to denounce those who peddled unproven theories surrounding Kirk’s death. He condemned Tucker Carlson’s decision to host Nick Fuentes as “an act of moral imbecility.”
Targets Strike Back
Responses were quick and pointed. Tucker Carlson returned to the stage within the hour, mocking what he called Shapiro’s attempts to “deplatform and denounce” dissenting voices.
“I watched it,” Carlson said. “I laughed.”
Conservative political commentator and podcast host Tucker Carlson speaks at Turning Point's annual AmericaFest conference, in remembrance of late right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, in Phoenix, Arizona on December 18, 2025. Kirk was shot dead on a Utah college campus in September, sparking a wave of grief among conservatives, and threats of a clampdown on the "radical left" from President Donald Trump. (Photo by Olivier Touron / AFP via Getty Images)(OLIVIER TOURON via Getty Images)
Other well-known figures weighed in on subsequent nights: former Trump adviser Steve Bannon likened Shapiro to “a cancer,” while Megyn Kelly downplayed Shapiro’s influence and said their friendship had ended. Candace Owens, who was not permitted to attend after promoting unsubstantiated claims about Kirk’s death, answered on her podcast, calling Shapiro a “miserable imp.”
Israel, Antisemitism And Policy Divides
Debate over Israel emerged repeatedly, revealing sharp differences over U.S. foreign policy and how the party should approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some speakers questioned whether a staunch pro-Israel stance sits comfortably alongside “America First” priorities, and several referenced historical incidents such as the 1967 USS Liberty attack while disputing its interpretation.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 21: Erika Kirk interviews surprise guest Nicki Minaj on the final day of Turning Point USA's annual AmericaFest conference at the Phoenix Convention Center on December 21, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. Minaj spoke about her frustrations with California Governor Gavin Newsom, and about why she has embraced the conservative movement. (Photo by Caylo Seals/Getty Images)(Caylo Seals via Getty Images)
Accusations of antisemitism and charges of divided loyalties were thrown across the stage: Steve Bannon condemned what he called an “Israel first crowd,” and other speakers criticized those who they say reflexively defend Israel without questioning policy outcomes.
Vance: Loving America As The Litmus Test
In the convention’s closing address, Vice President J.D. Vance rejected calls to draw strict boundaries around the MAGA coalition. Rather than naming and denouncing extremist elements, Vance urged a broad, inclusive definition: anyone who “loves America” belongs, he said.
A prerecorded message from President Donald Trump is displayed on a screen after his son Donald Trump Jr. called him from the stage to address the audience by phone during Turning Point's annual AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Arizona on December 21, 2025. This year's conference commemorates the late right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot on a Utah college campus in September, sparking an outpouring of grief among conservatives and prompting President Donald Trump to threaten a crackdown on the "radical left." (Photo by Olivier Touron / AFP via Getty Images)(OLIVIER TOURON via Getty Images)
“I didn’t bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to deplatform,” Vance said, signaling a more lenient approach to coalition-building.
Turning Point’s Endorsement
Erika Kirk used the platform to pledge Turning Point’s support for Vance as the next Republican nominee, promising a vigorous volunteer-driven effort in early primary states. Turning Point remains a powerful mobilizing force on the right, with a large grassroots network that can affect candidate momentum.
Gavin Newsom As A Political Foil
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a leading Democratic presidential contender, was a frequent target of ridicule and criticism. Vance mocked a potential Democratic ticket of Newsom or Kamala Harris, and a surprise onstage appearance by rapper Nicki Minaj featured barbed remarks and a dismissive nickname for the governor.
MAHA’s Rising Profile And Environmental Tensions
The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement maintained a visible presence, highlighting how new conservative factions are staking claims on public health and regulatory policy. MAHA speakers—some aligned with high-profile critics of mainstream public-health policy—pressed for a rethinking of environmental regulations and regulatory priorities.
Speakers urged engagement with MAHA priorities and encouraged the administration to listen to their concerns about industry influence and federal agencies. An Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson said the agency would engage with MAHA advocates and hear their perspectives.
What This Means
AmericaFest underscored an uncomfortable reality for the conservative movement: public infighting and ideological splits are increasingly visible and may shape candidate coalitions and policy debates going forward. The event highlighted both the organizing power of Turning Point and the fragility of a coalition wrestling with competing priorities—racial, religious, foreign policy and regulatory—that will influence the GOP’s direction in the months ahead.
