This past week, the annual conference of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) became a public stage for bitter infighting among top conservative figures. The sold-out gathering, known as AmericaFest and held in Phoenix, highlighted the party's profound struggle to address rising antisemitism and extremist ideologies within its ranks.
A Stage for Scathing Rebukes
The event, the first major one since the death of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk earlier this year, opened with a fiery speech from commentator Ben Shapiro. He launched a direct attack on several fellow Republican pundits, accusing them of promoting conspiracy theories and antisemitism. Shapiro labelled these individuals "charlatans," "frauds," and "grifters" who he claimed were endangering the conservative movement.
In his Thursday remarks, Shapiro specifically targeted Candace Owens for spreading what he called "baseless trash" about Kirk's murder. He criticized Megyn Kelly for not holding Owens accountable, derided Steve Bannon as a former "PR flack for Jeffrey Epstein," and saved some of his harshest words for Tucker Carlson. Shapiro blasted Carlson for interviewing and "glazing" white supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, calling Fuentes a "Hitler apologist, Nazi-loving, anti-American piece of refuse."
Fierce Pushback and Escalating Discord
The figures Shapiro called out did not remain silent. According to reports, Tucker Carlson retorted by describing Shapiro as "pompous," while Steve Bannon dismissed him as a "cancer." Megyn Kelly suggested they were likely no longer friends. Candace Owens fired back, calling Shapiro a "little worm" and accusing him of betraying Charlie Kirk's beliefs. The public nature of these clashes points to a significant and widening rift within conservative media and the broader political movement.
The divisions extended beyond media personalities. Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy used his Friday speech to condemn the concept of a "Heritage American," a term used by some on the right to imply that Americans with colonial-era lineage are superior to more recent immigrants. Ramaswamy called the idea "un-American at its core" and also denounced the antisemitism of Nick Fuentes.
Leadership Response and Ongoing Fallout
Vice President JD Vance, however, appeared to sidestep the core issues during his Sunday speech. The New York Times reported that Vance brushed aside the concerns about bigotry raised by Ramaswamy and Shapiro, stating, "I didn't bring a list of conservatives to denounce and deplatform."
This public discord mirrors recent Republican conflicts over similar issues. For instance, Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts initially defended Tucker Carlson after the Fuentes interview, only to apologize later following backlash. Furthermore, a Politico story exposing racist and antisemitic texts in a young Republicans' group chat has continued to roil the party.
In the wake of the contentious event, TPUSA CEO Erika Kirk, who assumed leadership after her husband's death, attempted to frame the schisms as a positive sign. She likened the atmosphere to "a Thanksgiving dinner where your family's hashing out the family business," suggesting such debates are part of a healthy internal process. However, the intensity of the accusations and the personal nature of the attacks suggest the fractures within the party and its influential media ecosystem run deep and may be difficult to repair.
