Conservatives clash at Turning Point USA conference over MAGA movement's direction

PHOENIX — A simmering battle over the future of President Donald Trump's political movement exploded on one of the right's biggest stages Thursday, as prominent conservative influencers used Turning Point USA's annual youth conference to attack each other and their competing visions.

The feuding threatened to eclipse efforts to memorialize Charlie Kirk, the organization's charismatic founder who was assassinated in September, even as participants insisted they were honoring the legacy of a unifying figure within the Republican Party.

First up was Ben Shapiro, who described Tucker Carlson and others as grifters and charlatans, guilty of misleading their audiences with falsehoods and conspiracy theories. Shapiro sharply criticized Carlson, a former Fox News host, for interviewing outspoken antisemite Nick Fuentes on his podcast, calling it ''an act of moral imbecility.''

Barely an hour later, Carlson took the same stage and mocked Shapiro's attempt to ''deplatform and denounce'' people who disagree with him.

''I watched it,'' he said. ''I laughed.''

The raw bitterness on the opening night of the four-day conference reflected deep divisions over the meaning of ''America First'' and next steps for the ''Make America Great Again'' movement defined more by the force of Trump's personality than loyalty to a particular ideological project.

It could also foreshadow more schisms within an increasingly fractious Republican Party, something that Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk's widow and Turning Point's new leader, warned about in her opening remarks.

Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old charged with shooting and killing Kirk while he spoke at Utah Valley University in September, appeared in court last week. Robinson has not entered a plea. Authorities say he told his romantic partner that he killed Kirk because he ''had enough of his hatred.''

Conservatives jockey to steer the MAGA movement

The last time Turning Point held its AmericaFest conference, weeks after Trump's comeback victory, the mood was ebullient as Republicans prepared for a new era of total control in Washington. The organization is known for highly produced events that feel more like rock concerts or megachurch services than political rallies, complete with pyrotechnics and floor-shaking bass.

Now the party faces challenging midterm elections, with Trump constitutionally prohibited from running again and his more ideologically motivated acolytes positioning themselves for after he leaves office. Meanwhile, conservatives have been roiled by conflicts over antisemitism in its ranks, which Trump has declined to mediate.

Shapiro said too many of his fellow conservatives are failing their audiences by winking at conspiratorial claims and claiming they're ''just asking questions."

Shapiro said 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.''

In response, Carlson said Shapiro's position would be antithetical to Kirk, who was killed while debating students on a college campus.

''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 downplayed the problem of anti-Jewish hate by claiming it's less pervasive than bias against white men.

''That is racism that is precisely as bad as antisemitism, but it is much more widespread and has been so far much more damaging,'' he said.

All the turmoil, he said, is about ''who gets the machinery when the president exits the scene.''

Erika Kirk confronts conspiracies

Turning Point has also faced turmoil over conspiracy theories spread by Candace Owens, a former employee who hosts a top-rated podcast. Owens has alleged without evidence that Israeli spies were involved in Kirk's death and that he was betrayed by people close to him. Authorities say Robinson acted alone.

Asked about Owens and others spreading conspiracy theories during a CBS News town hall, Erika Kirk responded with one word: ''Stop.'' She said Owens is making money off her family's tragedy, adding that conspiracy peddlers risk tainting the jury pool and allowing her husband's killer to get away with it.

Last weekend, with the Turning Point conference looming, Kirk and Owens agreed to a temporary détente until a private meeting. It didn't last long.

Owens also responded to criticism from Shapiro, who is Jewish, by doubling down on her claim that Israel was involved in Kirk's assassination.

''Ben only cares about Israel's interests,'' she wrote on X. ''So Israel is involved.''

Shapiro's critiques of Owens and Carlson reflect a deepening fissure within the Republican Party over Israel and its war in Gaza, with some younger conservatives questioning whether unflinching support for the country is in line with Trump's ''America First'' agenda.

Carlson criticized Israel's military operations and said it was immoral to kill innocent children, adding, ''I don't care if it's in Minneapolis or Gaza City.''

Turning Point draws thousands

There are more appearances expected from media personalities, administration officials, Christian rock bands and pastors. Attendees will have the chance to take selfies with popular figures and participate in discussions about political organizing, religion and conservative critiques of American culture.

On Thursday, right-wing podcasters and YouTube hosts taped their shows from the hallways as fans watched. Anti-abortion groups and Christian colleges recruited new members and students. Recruiters for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol were on hand, along with an armored tactical vehicle they drove into the exhibition hall.

Many dressed in red, white and blue or wore ''Make America Great Again'' hats. Some stopped for selfies in front of a sign saying, ''we are all Charlie Kirk.''