PHOENIX – The widow of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk has positioned Turning Point USA as a key force behind Vice President JD Vance’s potential 2028 presidential bid, signaling early political maneuvering within the Republican Party. Erika Kirk’s endorsement emerged during Thursday’s opening session of the organization’s America Fest conference, marking the group’s first major gathering since her husband’s assassination in September.
Addressing attendees at Phoenix Convention Center, Kirk declared: ‘We are going to get my husband’s friend, JD Vance, elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible’ – referencing the position of 48th U.S. president. Vance, who is scheduled to speak at the event on Sunday, has not formally announced presidential ambitions.
The conference immediately revealed deepening fractures within the conservative movement as prominent figures engaged in public feuding. Podcast host Ben Shapiro launched scathing attacks against media personalities Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Steve Bannon, labeling them ‘fraudsters and grifters.’ He specifically condemned those who refused to denounce Owens’ ‘vicious attacks,’ including what he described as baseless conspiracy theories surrounding Charlie Kirk’s murder.
Owens, a former Turning Point employee turned independent commentator, has repeatedly challenged Republican establishment figures while promoting controversial theories. The tensions emerged against a backdrop of growing speculation about former President Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party and internal struggles over the future direction of the MAGA movement.
The discord intensified when Tucker Carlson countered Shapiro’s criticisms from the same stage, mocking his call for deplatforming opponents at an event traditionally celebrating free speech. ‘That guy is pompous,’ Carlson remarked. ‘Calls to deplatform at a Charlie Kirk event? That’s hilarious.’
The conference highlighted the complex legacy of Charlie Kirk’s organization, which supporters view as a bastion of free speech and critics condemn as platform for hate speech. Authorities revealed Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, told his partner he acted because he ‘had enough of his hatred.’
Erika Kirk acknowledged the movement’s fractures, stating: ‘We’ve seen bridges being burned that shouldn’t be burnt.’ Her comments came as Trump faces multiple Republican challenges, including public disputes with former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene and congressional Republicans overriding his opposition to releasing Epstein documents.
The four-day America Fest continues through the weekend with scheduled appearances by Vance and Donald Trump Jr., setting the stage for further political developments within the conservative movement.