Phoenix, Arizona – On December 18, 2025, the opening night of Turning Point USA's annual AmericaFest conference turned into a public showdown between two of conservatism's biggest names, Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson, highlighting deep rifts within the MAGA movement just months after the assassination of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk.
The four-day event at the Phoenix Convention Center, billed as a tribute to Kirk—who was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, during a campus event at Utah Valley University—drew thousands of young conservatives. Yet the memorial tone was overshadowed by onstage criticism centering on platforming controversial figures, conspiracy theories surrounding Kirk's death, and competing visions for the Republican Party under President Trump's second term.
Kirk, aged 31 at his death, was killed by a single gunshot from a rooftop sniper while speaking to students. Tyler Robinson was later arrested and charged with aggravated murder; authorities described the act as a targeted political assassination, with Robinson reportedly telling his partner he "had enough of [Kirk's] hatred."
Erika Kirk, Charlie's widow and TPUSA's new CEO, opened the conference with a call for unity amid "fractures" in the movement since her husband's death. "You may not agree with everyone on this stage this weekend, and that’s okay. Welcome to America. Charlie would’ve welcomed that," she said, emphasizing her late husband's role as a "peacekeeper" and bridge-builder.
However, unity quickly unraveled. Ben Shapiro, speaking next, delivered a fiery address warning that the conservative movement Kirk built is "in serious danger" from "charlatans," "frauds," and "grifters" who traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty.
Shapiro directly targeted Tucker Carlson for interviewing white nationalist Nick Fuentes—a Holocaust denier previously barred from TPUSA events—and for "glazing" Andrew Tate, accused of sex trafficking. "[Charlie Kirk] knew that Nick Fuentes is an evil troll and that building him up is an act of moral imbecility, and that is precisely what Tucker Carlson did. He built Nick Fuentes up, and he ought to take responsibility for that, just as he ought to take responsibility for glazing pornographer and alleged sex trafficker Andrew Tate," Shapiro said.
Shapiro also condemned Candace Owens for spreading conspiracy theories about Kirk's assassination, including baseless suggestions of involvement by Israel, France, or TPUSA insiders. He criticized figures like Megyn Kelly for not strongly denouncing Owens, calling silence "cowardice." Owens, a former TPUSA employee, has continued promoting these theories despite a recent "productive" private meeting with Erika Kirk.
Carlson, taking the stage later, responded with sarcasm and defense of free speech. "I hope I didn’t miss anything meaningful... I watched it. I laughed the kind of bitter, sardonic laugh that emerges from you when upside-down world arrives," he said of Shapiro's speech. Carlson argued that calls for "deplatforming and denouncing" contradict Kirk's legacy of open debate, noting Kirk died while engaging students on campus. "The whole point of Charlie Kirk’s public life [was] to usher in a new time where you could have an actual debate."
The exchange underscores broader tensions: pro-Israel stalwarts like Shapiro versus "America First" skeptics questioning U.S. foreign policy, amplified by Owens' conspiracies and Carlson's interviews with fringe figures. These divides come as Republicans hold power in Washington and eye 2026 midterms and 2028 primaries, with Erika Kirk endorsing Vice President JD Vance for a potential presidential run.
Attendees and observers noted the irony of infighting at an event honoring Kirk, a unifier who mobilized young conservatives. Yet speakers insisted the debates honor his commitment to vigorous discourse. The conference continues through December 21, featuring Vance, Donald Trump Jr., and others.
This clash signals potential lasting schisms in Trump's coalition, testing whether the movement can coalesce or fracture further in a post-Kirk era.
