PHOENIX (NewsNation) — Turning Point USA is holding its annual AmericaFest in Arizona, but it is the first one without its late founder, Charlie Kirk.
Thousands have turned out to attend the four-day event, which is packed with a list of different conservative speakers and guests.
AmFest also comes as Republicans are facing a crossroads about their messaging, like whether they want to stay loyal to President Donald Trump’s messaging, despite polls showing that some of his policies are unpopular with Americans, or drift away from that.
However, ties between the White House and Turning Point have become stronger since Kirk’s assassination in September. Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, has visited the White House and Vice President JD Vance hosted Kirk’s podcast from the White House.
Erika Kirk kicked off AmFest on Thursday by backing Vance’s potential presidential bid for 2028. Charlie Kirk had also pushed for Vance to be the Republican nominee for that election before his death.
“We’re going to ensure that President Trump has Congress for all four years, we’re going to get my husband’s friend, JD Vance, elected as 48 in the most resounding way possible,” Kirk said.
The first two days of AmFest featured some conservative infighting. Ben Shapiro, a conservative commentator, called out Candace Owens for spreading conspiracy theories over Charlie Kirk’s death, and warned that other conservative commentators like Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Steve Bannon were a danger to the conservative movement.
“The conservative movement is in serious danger,” Shapiro said “Not just from the left, but from charlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle, but actually traffic in conspiracies and dishonesty.”
Carlson responded by highlighting some of the fractures within the MAGA movement, railing against cancel culture, adding it is against what Charlie Kirk would have wanted.
For the remainder of AmFest, Trump administration officials like Tom Homan and Tulsi Gabbard are expected to speak. Vance will also speak on Sunday.