Donald Trump Jr. Says There’s No ‘Republican’ Party Anymore in His Dad’s MAGA Era

Donald Trump Jr. declared that the Republican Party is no longer the standard-bearer of the political right, arguing that his father’s MAGA movement has taken its place.

He made the remarks on the final day of Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, the multi-day conservative gathering held in Phoenix on Sunday, Dec. 21.

“We have to stay involved. We have to stay in the game,” Trump Jr., 47, told the crowd. “Midterms are coming around the corner, and make no mistake, the Democrat Party wants to do whatever they possibly can to shut this movement down.”

He broadened his criticism beyond Democrats, taking aim at establishment Republicans as well.

“Not just the Democrats. The RINOs [Republicans in Name Only],” he said. “You see the manufactured attacks on JD [Vance], myself, my father — anyone who understands that this isn’t the Republican Party anymore. It’s the America First Party. It’s the Make America Great Again Party, and we are not going back.”

The comments drew loud cheers and a standing ovation from attendees.

Trump Jr. was one of several conservative figures who spoke during the four-day conference, which was launched by an organization co-founded by the late political organizer Charlie Kirk. This year’s event unfolded amid growing public tensions among prominent voices on the right.

Podcaster Ben Shapiro, speaking on the first day of the conference on Thursday, Dec. 18, warned that the movement was being undermined by bad actors.

“The conservative movement is in danger from charlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle but actually traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty,” he said.

Shapiro also criticized Tucker Carlson — another conference speaker — for hosting far-right activist Nick Fuentes on his podcast. Shapiro described Fuentes as “a Hitler apologist, Nazi-loving, anti-American piece of refuse.” He further accused AmericaFest guest Steve Bannon of being a “PR flack for Jeffrey Epstein,” citing multiple photos of Bannon and Epstein that were released by Epstein’s estate.

Bannon, who spoke at the conference on Friday, Dec. 19, fired back publicly, calling Shapiro a “cancer” to the movement.

“Ben Shapiro is like a cancer, and that cancer spreads,” Bannon said. “Mark my word, he will make a move on Turning Point, because he’s always been envious of Charlie Kirk.”

JD Vance, who closed out the event on Sunday, Dec. 21, appeared to urge unity within the broader coalition while avoiding a direct stance on whether antisemitic rhetoric should be condemned.

“We don’t care if you’re White or Black, rich or poor, young or old, rural or urban, controversial or a little bit boring, or somewhere in between,” he said.

“We have far more important work to do than canceling each other,” he continued, adding, “Charlie invited all of us here for a reason — because he believed that each of us, all of us, had something worth saying, and he trusted all of you to make your own judgment.”