On December 18, 2025, the conservative political landscape was jolted by a resounding endorsement at Turning Point USA’s annual America Fest conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Erika Kirk, widow of the late Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk and now the organization’s leader, took to the stage and made clear her intent to thrust Vice President JD Vance into the national spotlight for the 2028 presidential election. Her message was unmistakable: Turning Point USA, one of the most influential conservative youth groups in the country, would marshal its considerable resources to help elect Vance as the 48th president of the United States.
“We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” Kirk declared to a cheering crowd, as reported by ABC News and the Associated Press. Her speech, delivered on the opening night of the four-day conference, set the tone for what would become a weekend marked by both unity and deepening rifts within the conservative movement.
Kirk’s endorsement, while not entirely unexpected given Vance’s close ties to her late husband and to Turning Point USA, was significant for its timing and its public nature. As BBC News noted, her announcement came ahead of Vice President Vance’s scheduled appearance at the conference and amid growing speculation about the post-Trump future of the Republican Party. The endorsement signals early jockeying in the race to succeed President Donald Trump, who, now in his second term as the 47th president, has mused about a third run despite constitutional limits and has publicly floated the idea of a Vance-Rubio ticket for 2028.
JD Vance, for his part, has not officially declared his intention to run for president. In a November 2025 interview with Fox News, Vance emphasized his current focus on the upcoming 2026 midterm elections and said he would discuss 2028 plans with President Trump after those contests. “We’re going to win the midterms, we’re going to do everything that we can to win the midterms, and then after that, I’m going to sit down with the president of the United States and talk to him about it,” Vance said. “But let’s focus on the now.”
The endorsement from Erika Kirk carries extra weight given Turning Point USA’s proven track record in shaping the modern conservative movement, especially among younger voters. The organization played a pivotal role in expanding Trump’s coalition and helping secure his 2024 victory, as highlighted by BBC News. Now, with thousands of young volunteers at its disposal, Turning Point’s support could provide Vance with a formidable base in what is expected to be a fractious Republican primary.
But the path ahead is anything but straightforward. The America Fest conference quickly became a microcosm of the broader tensions roiling the conservative movement. After Kirk’s opening remarks, the stage was overtaken by heated exchanges among prominent right-wing commentators. Ben Shapiro, a well-known podcaster, launched verbal attacks at media rivals Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Steve Bannon, labeling them “fraudsters and grifters.” Shapiro went further, accusing those who refused to condemn Owens’ controversial statements—especially regarding conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s murder—of “cowardice.”
Tucker Carlson, no stranger to controversy himself, responded in kind, dismissing Shapiro’s comments as “pompous” and deriding calls to deplatform voices at a Turning Point event as “hilarious.” The bitter back-and-forth underscored the fractures that have become increasingly visible since Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September 2025. As BBC News reported, Erika Kirk acknowledged these divisions, telling the audience, “You won’t agree with everyone on this stage this weekend. And that’s okay. Welcome to America.” She added, “Since the assassination, we’ve seen fractures, we’ve seen bridges being burned that shouldn’t be burnt.”
Charlie Kirk’s murder, carried out by Tyler Robinson during a campus event at Utah Valley University, has cast a long shadow over the conservative movement. Authorities say Robinson told his romantic partner that he killed Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.” The loss of Kirk, a powerbroker and bridge builder within the movement, has left Turning Point at a crossroads, with infighting among conservative commentators and estranged allies intensifying in the months since his death, according to AP and BBC News.
Despite the internal strife, the endorsement of JD Vance has already begun to reshape the conversation about the Republican Party’s future. As The New York Times reported, Vance is seen as a front-runner in early surveys and betting markets, and even potential rivals are acknowledging his strength. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, himself a former presidential candidate and widely considered a strong contender for 2028, told Vanity Fair, “If JD Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him.”
President Trump, meanwhile, has publicly praised both Vance and Rubio as “great” options for 2028, suggesting that if they ever joined forces, “it would be unstoppable.” Yet, as AP pointed out, the Trump coalition is built as much around personal loyalty as it is around shared political goals—a reality that could complicate any effort to unify the party behind a single successor.
For Erika Kirk and Turning Point USA, the stakes are high. The organization’s influence among young conservatives is unmatched, and its ability to mobilize grassroots support could prove decisive in the coming years. Kirk, who assumed leadership after her husband’s assassination, has positioned herself as both a steward of his legacy and a force for renewal within the movement. Her vow to “help keep Congress in Republican hands next year” and to “get JD Vance elected as the 48th president” reflects a dual focus on near-term victories and long-term transformation.
The four-day America Fest conference, set to conclude with speeches from JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr., has offered a glimpse into the challenges and opportunities facing the conservative movement as it prepares for a post-Trump era. With Trump encountering setbacks within his own party—including a public falling out with former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene and the impending release of the Epstein files, as noted by BBC News—the question of succession has taken on new urgency.
If Vance does ultimately decide to run, he would be the first Millennial president, a symbolic passing of the torch to a new generation. As the Republican Party grapples with its identity and future direction, the alliance between Erika Kirk, Turning Point USA, and JD Vance could set the stage for a defining chapter in American politics.
While the conservative movement faces undeniable turbulence, the events in Phoenix have made one thing clear: the race for 2028 has already begun, and the battle lines—both internal and external—are being drawn.
