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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsConservatives clash at Turning Point USA conference over MAGA movement's direction (AP)
By JONATHAN J. COOPER
Updated 9:27 AM PST, December 19, 2025
PHOENIX (AP) A simmering battle over the future of President Donald Trumps political movement exploded on one of the rights biggest stages Thursday, as prominent conservative influencers used Turning Point USAs annual youth conference to attack each other and their competing visions.
The feuding threatened to eclipse efforts to memorialize Charlie Kirk, the organizations charismatic founder who was assassinated in September, even as participants insisted they were honoring the legacy of a unifying figure within the Republican Party.
First up was Ben Shapiro, who described Tucker Carlson and others as grifters and charlatans, guilty of misleading their audiences with falsehoods and conspiracy theories. Shapiro sharply criticized Carlson, a former Fox News host, for interviewing outspoken antisemite Nick Fuentes on his podcast, calling it an act of moral imbecility. Barely an hour later, Carlson took the same stage and mocked Shapiros attempt to deplatform and denounce people who disagree with him. I watched it, he said. I laughed.
The raw bitterness on the opening night of the four-day conference reflected deep divisions over the meaning of America First and next steps for the Make America Great Again movement defined more by the force of Trumps personality than loyalty to a particular ideological project.
pfitz59
(12,323 posts)Funded by RW fossils while featuring a rogue's gallery of slimy haters and wannabes. Twitler Touth brain-washing party.
Diraven
(1,829 posts)Which aren't mentioned in this story: Carlson and those in his camp believe in and promote conspiracy theories about Jews who they believe shouldn't be allowed in MAGA. Shapiro, who is Jewish himself, holds the opposite view.
Norrrm
(4,028 posts)gfarber
(205 posts)There once was a movement called MAGA,
Whose feuds grew much hotter than magma.
At a conference grand,
They all took a stand
And promptly began yelling Blasphema!
At AmericaFest on night one,
Ben Shapiro declared, Were not done.
He scolded the crowd
That some voices too loud
Sell nonsense instead of good sense and a pun.
Said Ben, There are theories run wild,
That are reckless and deeply unfiled.
With microphones bright,
We must challenge outright
The tales that are crooked and riled.
He frowned at the guests others choose,
And the platforms they freely let loose.
If you host shady views,
Youre not just asking cues
Youre normalizing poisonous news.
Then Bannon returned the next day,
With rhetoric set fully to slay.
He thundered with flair,
To a cheering affair,
That Shapiros the rot in the way!
He claimed theres a plot and a grab,
For power, for influence, for clout in the lab.
The crowd roared approval,
Subtletys removal
Was swift as a political jab.
But zoom out a bit and youll see,
Its not just a duel of two or three.
Theyre all throwing blows,
At friends and at foes
A circle of fire on right-wing TV.
So here is the moral, quite stark:
When movements are fueled by a spark
Of grievance and fame,
They turn inward with flame
And everyones busy just tearing the bark.
There once was a movement so loud,
It could argue with mirrors and crowds.
At a Phoenix retreat,
They skipped unity week
And went straight into yelling out proud.
Ben Shapiro took stage with a glare,
And a checklist of folks to impair.
Youve got theories galore!
Please stop talkingno, four!
Actually five! Everyone sit in a chair!
He wagged at conspiracies spun,
Like yarn from a very weird nun.
If facts you ignore,
Youre not brave or hardcore
Youre just livestreaming nonsense for fun.
He scolded some hosts by their names,
For inviting the worst to their frames.
Stop sharing the mic
With guys who think Reich
Is a vibe and not historically lame.
Then Bannon stomped back with a roar,
Like hed just lost a pirate war.
He boomed to the hall,
Bens the problem with all!
(While implying at least twelve more.)
He shouted of plots and control,
And cancer metaphors fresh from his soul.
The crowd ate it up,
Like rhetorical slop
Subtlety left on a stretcher and rolled.
But really the truth of the mess
Isnt Ben, Steve, or Tucker, I guess.
Theyre all in a scrum,
Yelling traitor! at some
While livestreaming chaos in dress shirts and vests.
So gather ye pundits and fight,
Under ring lights both blinding and bright.
When allies turn foes,
And no one quite knows
Who theyre mad at by Thursday night.
stopdiggin
(15,037 posts)Cha
(316,846 posts)womanofthehills
(10,718 posts)Republicans are getting nasty to each other and using gross language!!!
Ben Shapiro hates Candace who used to work for him - now she has surpassed him audience wise with one of the top podcasts in the world.
Shapiro came after Candace big time on TP plus after Tucker big time plus Megan Kelly. Then Tucker came after Ben and Bannon also came after Ben.
Actually Tucker is VERY anti Gaza war - so is Candace - and Tucker spoke about the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent Gaza children.
Candace on her podcast answers Ben Shapiro after Bens TP attack on her - Candace: Truly Ben Shapiro, F%ck You and the midget horse you ride on
Republicans are getting really nasty to each other. Last week Tim Pool said of Candace Candace Owens is a F%cking Evil Scumbag. Shes a degenerate c%nt. She is burning everything down and shes gloating and smiling as she does it
Republicans on Republicans - so so nasty. Been following all these people on X because its almost unbelievable. So many others on X involved with Milo hating Erika- plus seems like most Republicans on X are critical of Erika. Then Erika came after Candace (you cant make this shit up)
Of course now there are lots of AI small Ben Shapirocartoons where hes on a midget horse.
Then Bannon gets in on it and he attacks Shapiro. Bannon is anti war but still pro Trump - kind of like Megan going back and forth.
Podcast Civil war - Mark Levin , Ben Shapiro, Ted Cruz, Randy Fine, Tim Pool etc. vs. MTG, Tucker, Candace, Dave Smith, Clint Russell, Milo, etc
Megan and Bannon in the middle along with different TP staff. HUGE REPUBLICAN HATE FEST been going on for weeks on podcasts.
If you are not on X or the podcast world you might have been missing this. Its so hot over there Candace is getting a quarter million live viewers a podcast and Libiterian Clint Russell said his views went from 300,000 a few weeks ago to a quarter a million live.
Then you put in Kash Patel. Republicans believe Candace over FBI.
I just decided to follow Republicans and Independents on X besides Dems . I never expected it to see such HATE between Republicans. Trump has lost all the Independents too. Dave Smith who said he voted for Trump now finds Trump disgusting. Theo Von who had Trump on his show is so grossed out by Trump. Carry on. We should be in good shape as a party.