Vice President J.D. Vance delivered a passionate address on Sunday, bringing AmericaFest to a close with remarks that highlighted the widening divisions within the conservative movement.
His speech underscored a call for unity and inclusivity within the America First agenda, emphasizing the importance of collaboration over internal conflict.
Vance's speech, as reported by the Daily Caller, was a pointed response to Ben Shapiro's earlier comments. Shapiro had criticized prominent conservative figures such as Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Steve Bannon, labeling them as "frauds and grifters." In contrast, Vance asserted, every American is invited to join the America First movement, stressing that we have far more important work to do than canceling each other.
He further remarked, President Trump did not build the greatest coalition in politics by running his supporters through endless, self-defeating purity tests. Vance made it clear that he had no intention of denouncing fellow conservatives, stating, I didnt bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to deplatform.
The Vice President's speech also paid tribute to Charlie Kirk, the late founder of Turning Point USA, by urging conservatives to honor his legacy through unity rather than division. Let me just say the best way to honor Charlie is that none of us here should be doing something after Charlies death that he himself refused to do in life, Vance declared. He emphasized the importance of growth and collaboration, noting, we build by adding, by growing, not by tearing down.
Vance further highlighted Kirk's understanding of familial disagreements, stating, any family can have its disagreements, its tough conversations, we can learn and improve and treat one another better, we can love each other despite the disagreements. But winning demands teamwork.
The backdrop to Vance's speech is a simmering tension between Shapiro and other conservative figures, including Carlson, Owens, and Megyn Kelly. Shapiro had previously criticized Carlson's interview with Nick Fuentes as an act of moral imbecility and accused Kelly of cowardice for not condemning Owens' conspiracy theories regarding Kirk's assassination.
In response, Carlson dismissed Shapiro's remarks, likening them to watching your dog do your taxes, while Kelly retorted that Shapiro had the nerve to call me a friend right before he called me a despicable coward.
The event, which drew over 30,000 attendees, also saw Erika Kirk endorsing Vance for a presidential run in 2028, signaling a potential future leadership role for the Vice President within the conservative movement.
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