PHOENIX—In the final minutes of a sometimes fractious AmericaFest, Vice President JD Vance called for something short of a truce: He urged conservatives not to try to expel each other from conservatism.
“I didn’t bring a list of conservatives to denounce or deplatform,” Vance said in his Dec. 21 speech, which capped off Turning Point USA's first AmericaFest since the assassination of one of the organization’s founders, Charlie Kirk, on Sept. 10, 2025.
In his remarks, which also emphasized the deep roots of Christianity in American life, Vance appealed to Kirk’s own commitment to open dialogue on the political right.
“The best way to honor Charlie is that none of us here should be doing something after Charlie’s death that he himself refused to do in life. He invited all of us here,” the vice president said.
“We have far more important work to do than canceling each other,” he added.
Shapiro, who came on stage just after Charlie's widow, Erika Kirk, castigated Carlson, as well as media personalities Steve Bannon, Megyn Kelly, and Candace Owens. All but Owens went on to take the stage over the course of the multi-day event.
"If Candace Owens decides to spend every day since the murder of Charlie Kirk casting aspersions at TPUSA ... implicating everyone from French intelligence to Mossad, to members of TPUSA, in Charlie's murder, or a cover up in that murder, then we as people with a microphone have a moral obligation to call that out by name," Shapiro said.
He also accused Carlson of going "silent on Candace's targeting of TPUSA" and Kelly, who he said he considers a friend, of "shying away from condemning her actions." Shapiro alleged Bannon was "maligning people he disagrees with" by imputing loyalty to a country other than the United States without evidence.
In his own Day One speech, Carlson denounced Shapiro’s remarks, saying they were a bid to deplatform him.
He also alleged the comments were part of a proxy war against Vance.
Just minutes before Shapiro spoke, Kirk said her organization backed a potential Vance presidential bid in 2028. In the course of his remarks, Shapiro described Carlson as "quite close with" the vice president.
Carlson told the audience that "there are people who are mad at JD Vance and they're stirring up a lot of this in order to make sure he doesn't get the nomination."
Kelly also took issue with Shapiro’s comments, airing her objections on Dec. 19 during a conversation with commentator and activist Jack Posobiec.
"I resent that he thinks he's in a position to decide who must say what to whom and when," Kelly said. "So, I don't think we are friends anymore."
“I’ve been a very good friend to Ben,” Kelly continued, adding that she “helped make him a star” during her time on Fox News. She also pointed out that they agree on many things, but disagree on "whether Tucker Carlson should be excommunicated from the conservative movement."
Bannon, too, fired back at Shapiro. In his Dec. 19 AmericaFest speech, the former Trump White House strategist called Shapiro a "hardcore never-Trumper" and accused him of seeking to put Israeli interests ahead of the United States'.
Politics and Christianity
As the vice president came on stage at the Phoenix Convention Center, he was met by Kirk, who became Turning Point USA's CEO in the wake of her husband's death and previously endorsed him for the presidency.The Ohioan has not declared his candidacy for the 2028 election, which is almost three years away.
While he has not endorsed Vance as his successor, Trump has floated both Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as strong contenders.
Rubio has said he will not run if the vice president enters the race.
While Vance did not address the upcoming Republican presidential election cycle on Dec. 21, he discussed the prospective Democratic field, saying the party would ultimately choose between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Vance’s speech came after remarks from various major Republican politicians and conservative voices aligned with Trump.
The big names included Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, now running for senate in North Carolina, as well as Florida gubernatorial hopeful Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.).
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), now running for governor of Arizona, also appeared, as did House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and the president’s son, Donald Trump, Jr.
Before Vance’s remarks, Kirk was joined on stage by a special guest, rapper Nicki Minaj.
Minaj spoke about her advocacy for persecuted Christians in Nigeria.
“We will speak up for Christians wherever they are in this world,” Minaj said, drawing cheers and applause from the crowd.
Minaj’s comments were in keeping with the deeply Christian atmosphere at the political gathering.
The programming on Dec. 21 opened with a worship service.
Pastor Greg Laurie, who spoke ahead of Whatley, spoke of Vance’s journey to Christianity. The vice president became a Catholic in 2019. His wife, Usha, is Hindu.
At a TPUSA event earlier in 2025, Vance told the audience that he hoped she would eventually convert to Christianity.
“If she doesn't, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn't cause a problem for me,” he added.
Vance said he and Usha are raising their children as Christians.
On Dec. 21, the vice president described Christianity as a core part of the United States—though he stressed that Americans need not be Christians to be true Americans.
“The only thing that has truly served as an anchor of the United States of America is that we have been, and by the grace of God we always will be, a Christian nation,” Vance said.
“The fruits of true Christianity are men like Charlie Kirk,” the vice president said, drawing applause and chants of “Charlie!” from the crowd.