AmericaFest, a four-day conference hosted by Turning Point USA, concluded Sunday with internal fractures among conservatives on open display, particularly over U.S. support for Israel. The gathering underscored a growing ideological split inside the Republican Party and broader conservative movement, revealing tensions that organizers and party leaders have been unable to contain.
The most heated exchanges centered on a series of speeches from competing factions. Commentator Ben Shapiro criticized Tucker Carlson and others aligned with the “America First” wing, declaring, “A conservatism that treats Tucker Carlson as a thought leader is no conservatism,” while also rebuking Candace Owens and Megyn Kelly for refusing to condemn him. The speech drew enthusiastic applause from pro-Israel attendees.
Steve Bannon responded from the stage, calling Shapiro “a cancer… that metastasizes” and alleging he aims to assert control over Turning Point USA. Bannon went further, attacking supporters of Israel within the movement by saying, “The Israel first crowd… they prioritize Israel’s interests over America’s,” and argued Israel draws the U.S. into unnecessary wars.
Tucker Carlson, whose relationship with GOP leadership has deteriorated over the past year, reinforced that narrative, telling attendees that unwavering support for Israel may amount to a “Christian heresy.” Earlier this year at another Turning Point event, Carlson suggested Jeffrey Epstein was a Mossad asset, a moment widely viewed as the beginning of the public fracture now gripping conservative politics.
Tensions escalated during a live panel featuring three pro-Israel Christian pastors. During the audience Q&A, participants repeatedly challenged the pastors on U.S. policy toward Israel, revealing the degree to which skepticism of U.S. support for Israel has grown among grassroots conservatives. Multiple activists and commentators now openly describe the divide as “America First” versus “Israel First.”
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, prior to his murder in September, warned GOP leaders and Trump administration officials that Israel policy had become the central fault line within the conservative base. Those warnings now appear to be playing out publicly, leaving party leaders uncertain about how to reconcile a deeply fractured movement headed into the 2026 midterm cycle.