Vice President JD Vance took center stage at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest 2025, addressing a crowd still reeling from the assassination of the organization’s founder, Charlie Kirk, just three months prior. Vance’s closing speech at the four-day convention in Phoenix marked a pivotal moment for a conservative movement in flux, as it grapples with fierce internal debates over antisemitism, the boundaries of free speech, and the future of the Republican Party in a post-Trump era.
Vance’s message was clear: the conservative movement should be open to anyone who loves America, regardless of their background or prior controversies. “We don’t care if you’re White or Black, rich or poor, young or old, rural or urban, controversial or a little bit boring, or somewhere in between,” he declared, according to reporting from multiple outlets including Fox News and AP. “If you love America, if you want all of us to be richer, stronger, safer, and prouder, you have a home on this team.”
His remarks came as the convention was marked by heated arguments about whether to exclude figures such as Nick Fuentes, a far-right podcaster known for antisemitic rhetoric. The controversy exposed deep rifts within the “Make America Great Again” coalition, with prominent conservatives like Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson openly feuding on stage and online. Shapiro, co-founder of the Daily Wire, lambasted “charlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle but actually traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty,” and singled out Carlson for giving Fuentes a platform. Carlson, in turn, dismissed the notion of a Republican “civil war” as “totally fake,” and suggested that critics were stirring up trouble to block Vance’s ascension.
Erika Kirk, who took over Turning Point USA after her husband’s assassination, publicly endorsed Vance as a potential successor to President Donald Trump. “Turning Point wanted Vance ‘elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,’” she said, referencing the next presidential election. The organization’s nationwide network of volunteers could prove invaluable for Vance or any Republican seeking to build early momentum in the primaries.
But the path forward is anything but simple. The Republican Party’s identity has been wrapped around Trump for nearly a decade, and as his constitutional eligibility ends, the question of who will inherit his coalition looms large. “Who gets the machinery when the president exits the scene?” Carlson asked rhetorically. The answer, it seems, is far from settled, with top voices jockeying for influence and no clear consensus in sight.
Throughout the convention, Vance struck a tone of unity and inclusion, even as he refused to draw hard lines against controversial figures. “I didn’t bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to deplatform,” he said. “We have far more important work to do than canceling each other—we have got to build, and President Donald Trump is a builder.” He argued that infighting was not a sign of weakness, but a reflection of a vibrant movement of freethinkers. “Wouldn’t you rather lead a movement of freethinkers who sometimes disagree than a bunch of drones who take their orders from George Soros?” he quipped, referencing a frequent target of right-wing criticism.
However, Vance did not entirely shy away from addressing the uglier side of the current debate. In an interview published December 22 with UnHerd, he responded forcefully to personal attacks on his wife, Usha Vance, the daughter of Indian immigrants. Nick Fuentes had previously called Vance a “race traitor” for marrying Usha and used hateful language to describe her. On the other end of the political spectrum, former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki made disparaging remarks about Usha on a podcast, joking that she needed to be “rescued.” Vance’s response was blunt: “Let me be clear. Anyone who attacks my wife, whether their name is Jen Psaki or Nick Fuentes, can eat s–t. That’s my official policy as vice president of the United States.”
Vance also drew a hard line against antisemitism and all forms of ethnic hatred, stating, “Antisemitism and all forms of ethnic hatred have no place in the conservative movement. Whether you’re attacking somebody because they’re white or because they’re black or because they’re Jewish, I think it’s disgusting.” His words resonated with many in attendance, including 18-year-old Isaiah White-Diller from Yuma, Arizona, who said, “I have my right to be Christian here, I have my right to say whatever I want.”
Still, Vance’s refusal to impose “purity tests” drew criticism from some corners, particularly as the debate over antisemitism and inclusion raged on. He invoked the memory of Charlie Kirk, urging the movement not to engage in divisive actions that Kirk himself would have rejected. “Let me just say 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,” Vance said.
Vance’s speech also touched on the administration’s policy accomplishments as it nears its one-year anniversary. He touted efforts to secure the border, noting that 2025 was “the first year in more than half a century with negative net migration” and that millions of illegal immigrants had either left the U.S. or been deported. He linked these efforts to lower rent costs, gas prices, inflation, and unemployment. “When you restore sanity at the border, it shows up everywhere else,” he said. Vance also took aim at diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, declaring, “We have relegated DEI to the dustbin of history which is exactly where it belongs.”
He did not shy away from controversial cultural rhetoric either, accusing Democrats of focusing on “trans-ing their kids” and vowing to “stand with every patriot in this room to defend the country we so dearly love.” Vance’s promise to the crowd was sweeping: “I promise you closed borders and safe communities. I promise you good jobs and a dignified life. Only God can promise you salvation and heaven. But together we can fulfill the promise of the greatest nation in the history of the earth.”
Trump himself has spoken highly of both Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential successors, even suggesting they could form a future Republican ticket. Rubio has expressed support for Vance, and Trump has said it’s “too early” to make a call, but that Vance would be “probably favorite at this point.”
The convention also saw some unexpected moments, including a surprise appearance by rapper Nicki Minaj, who spoke effusively about both Trump and Vance. In a poignant gesture, Vance was recognized for helping to carry Charlie Kirk’s casket after his assassination, flying to Utah to bring Kirk’s remains home to Arizona alongside uniformed service members.
As the Republican Party looks to the future, Vance’s message of unity, patriotism, and unapologetic conservatism is likely to shape the contours of the coming presidential race. Whether the movement can reconcile its internal divisions and present a cohesive front remains an open—and urgent—question.
