Long-simmering tensions over the future of President Donald Trump’s political coalition burst into public view Thursday at Turning Point USA’s annual youth conference, where high-profile conservative figures openly attacked one another and argued over what “America First” should mean going forward.
The dispute threatened to overshadow the conference’s efforts to honor Charlie Kirk, Turning Point’s founder, who was killed in September. Even as speakers and attendees invoked Kirk as a unifying presence in the Republican Party, the first night of the four-day event featured some of the movement’s most influential voices trading barbs in front of a sympathetic crowd.
Ben Shapiro opened the clash by accusing Tucker Carlson and others of misleading audiences with false claims and conspiracy theories. Shapiro also condemned Carlson for interviewing Nick Fuentes — described by Shapiro as an outspoken antisemite — calling the interview “an act of moral imbecility.”
Less than an hour later, Carlson took the same stage and ridiculed Shapiro’s approach, framing it as an attempt to silence dissent.
“I watched it,” Carlson said. “I laughed.”
Competing claims to “America First”
The unusually direct feud reflected deeper divisions inside a coalition that has often been held together more by Trump’s dominance than by a shared ideological program. With Trump constitutionally barred from seeking another term, various factions are positioning themselves for influence in what comes next — a dynamic that some Republicans privately worry could widen into open fractures ahead of difficult midterm elections.
Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow and Turning Point’s new leader, warned in her opening remarks that internal conflicts risk lasting damage.
Since the assassination, she said, “we’ve seen fractures, we’ve seen bridges being burned that shouldn’t be burnt.”
Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old charged with killing Kirk during a campus appearance at Utah Valley University, appeared in court last week and has not entered a plea. Authorities say Robinson told his romantic partner he killed Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.”
The party’s next chapter — and who gets to write it
At last year’s AmericaFest, held shortly after Trump’s election victory, the mood was celebratory as Republicans anticipated unified control in Washington. Turning Point’s events are known for their concert-like production — complete with pyrotechnics and booming music — and for attracting a crowd that blends political organizing with pop-culture energy.
This year, the atmosphere is more volatile. Ambitious figures in the movement are maneuvering for a post-Trump era, while disputes over antisemitism and conspiracy thinking have become flashpoints. Trump, the movement’s central figure, has declined to step in to resolve those disputes.
Shapiro argued that some conservatives are failing their audiences by indulging conspiratorial rhetoric while insisting they are “just asking questions.” He also sharpened his criticism of Carlson’s interview with Fuentes, whose followers — known as “groypers” — describe themselves as protecting a white, Christian identity in the United States.
Shapiro said Charlie Kirk understood Fuentes to be “an evil troll,” adding that elevating him was “an act of moral imbecility,” which Shapiro said is what Carlson had done.
Carlson countered that calls to “deplatform” and denounce others run against Kirk’s legacy of debating opponents on college campuses.
“To hear calls for deplatforming and denouncing people at a Charlie Kirk event, I’m like, what?” Carlson said. “This is hilarious.”
Carlson denied being antisemitic, saying it is immoral to hate people for how they were born. He then minimized the scope of anti-Jewish hatred by arguing it is less pervasive than bias against white men, calling that bias “racism” and claiming it is widespread.
Carlson also dismissed talk of a looming civil war within Trump’s coalition as “totally fake,” arguing that the narrative is promoted by people trying to block Vice President JD Vance from becoming the party’s next standard-bearer.
“All the turmoil,” Carlson said, is about “who gets the machinery when the president exits the scene.”
Turning Point leadership pushes back on conspiracy claims
Turning Point has faced its own internal turmoil tied to conspiracy theories promoted by Candace Owens, a former employee and popular podcast host. Owens has alleged — without evidence — that Israeli spies were involved in Kirk’s death and that people close to him betrayed him. Authorities say Robinson acted alone.
During a CBS News town hall, Erika Kirk was asked about conspiracy theories spreading within the movement. Her response was blunt: “Stop.”
She said Owens was profiting from her family’s tragedy and warned that such claims could contaminate the jury pool and jeopardize the prosecution.
A temporary truce ahead of the conference — reportedly agreed to by Kirk and Owens until a private meeting — quickly collapsed. After their meeting Monday, Owens said they spoke for four and a half hours but that she still doubted Robinson acted alone.
Owens also responded to Shapiro’s criticism by escalating her claims. On social media, she wrote that Shapiro, who is Jewish, “only cares about Israel’s interests,” adding: “So Israel is involved.”
The public sparring underscores a broader disagreement on the right over Israel and the war in Gaza. Some younger conservatives have begun questioning whether unwavering support for Israel aligns with an “America First” agenda. Carlson criticized Israel’s military campaign and argued it is immoral to kill innocent children, saying, “I don’t care if it’s in Minneapolis or Gaza City.”
A massive gathering — with more headline speakers ahead
The conference continues for three more days and has drawn thousands. Vance is scheduled to speak Sunday, along with Donald Trump Jr. The lineup also includes media personalities, administration officials, Christian rock acts, and pastors, alongside sessions on political organizing, religion, and conservative critiques of American culture.
Outside the main hall, podcasters and YouTube hosts recorded shows in the corridors as fans watched. Anti-abortion groups and Christian colleges recruited attendees. Recruiters for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol appeared with an armored tactical vehicle brought into the exhibition space.
Many attendees wore red, white, and blue or “Make America Great Again” hats, and some took photos in front of a sign reading, “we are all Charlie Kirk.”
“I just felt like I had an obligation to be here,” said Daren Struiksma, 20, of Harrisburg, South Dakota.
