During the first Turning Point USA AmericaFest gathering since the passing of its founder, Charlie Kirk, tensions were palpable among the MAGA supporters. Erika Kirk, now at the helm of Turning Point as its CEO, attempted to foster unity by addressing the crowd first on Thursday evening. Yet, the event quickly veered into discord when headliners Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson exchanged barbs over conspiracy theories surrounding Kirk’s demise.

Shapiro initiated the controversy by criticizing Carlson for featuring far-right figure Nick Fuentes on his program in October. He further targeted Carlson, along with Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly, and Steve Bannon, labeling them as ‘frauds’ and ‘grifters.’ With Kelly and Bannon slated to speak later in the week, Shapiro cautioned that the conservative movement faces a grave threat from these so-called ‘charlatans’ who masquerade as principled voices while dealing in conspiracy and deceit.

Owens, who was absent from the event, faced backlash for insinuating that Israel might have been involved in Kirk’s death. Shapiro emphasized the necessity for precision and truthfulness in communication, urging against vague statements. He criticized the tendency to generalize without specifying, saying, “We shouldn’t make claims like ‘They shot Charlie’ without clearly identifying who ‘they’ are.” He pointed out that the evidence suggests the alleged shooter is an individual with a complex personal identity, distancing from baseless speculation.

‘If we are going to target ideological movements, we should talk about the fact that the radical trans movement treats all those who oppose it as existential threats.’ Shapiro had been referring to the 22-year-old suspect in the Kirk assassination, Tyler Robinson. It was Carlson, though, who received the harshest treatment aside from Owens. ‘The people who refused to condemn Candace’s truly vicious attacks – and some of them are speaking here tonight – are guilty of cowardice. Yes, cowardice,’ Shapiro said.

‘The fact that they have said nothing while Candace has been vomiting all sorts of hideous and conspiratorial nonsense into the public square for years is just as cowardly.’ Referring to Carlson, he said: ‘If you host a Hitler apologist, Nazi-loving, anti-American piece of refuse like Nick Fuentes… The person who said that Charlie Kirk was a, quote, “idiot”… you ought to own it.’ ‘There is a reason that Charlie Kirk despised Nick Fuentes and indeed even chided Dinesh D’Souza for debating him.’ Carlson responded with his own barbs from the same stage.

‘That guy is pompous,’ Carlson began, panning Shapiro’s serious tone. He said he “laughed” while watching snippets of Shapiro’s speech backstage. ‘Calls to deplatform at a Charlie Kirk event? That’s hilarious.’ Carlson also assured the crowd that he was not antisemitic after hosting Fuentes. ‘Antisemitism is not just naughty, it’s immoral,’ he announced. He also complained about cancel culture, saying, ‘I have a right to question your motives. Actually, why can’t you answer the question? Why do you have to imply that some college kid is like some kind of Hitler-ite or something because he’s asking about an event? Like what?’.

Carlson asserted: ‘It is okay to ask questions. And I thought that was, like,the whole reason we were against the left. They’re not going to force you to get up there and make ritual denunciations. ‘Because this isn’t my religion. It’s politics.’ The tone of the summit was a far cry from that of last year’s, where both Shapiro and Carlson asserted the US was entering its ‘golden age’. At the time, Donald Trump has just won the election, and Republicans had won both the House and Senate. 

‘We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,’ Erika promised to start the event. Days before, at a CBS News town hall held by Bari Weiss,the widow begged Owens to stop spreading conspiracy theories about her husband. Owens, one of the most watched personalities in the world, responded to the remarks from Shapiro in a post to X Thursday night. ‘Ben only cares about Israel’s interests. So Israel is involved,’ she wrote. Speakers set to take the stage Friday and over the weekend include Vice President Vance, Fox News’ Jesse Watters, Tulsi Gabbard and House Speaker Mike Johnson.