PHOENIX (AP) 鈥� Vice President JD Vance said Sunday the conservative movement should be open to everyone as long as they 鈥渓ove America,鈥� declining to condemn a streak of antisemitism that has divided the Republican Party and of Turning Point USA鈥檚 annual convention.
After a long weekend of debates about whether the movement should exclude figures such as bigoted podcaster Nick Fuentes, Vance came down firmly against 鈥減urity tests.鈥�
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to de-platform,鈥� Vance said during the convention鈥檚 closing speech.
Turning Point leader Erika Kirk, who took the helm after the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk, has as a potential successor to President Donald Trump, a helpful nod from an influential group with an army of volunteers.
at foreshadowed the treacherous political waters that Vance, or anyone else who seeks the next Republican presidential nomination, will need to navigate in the coming years. Top voices in the 鈥淢ake America Great Again鈥� movement are jockeying for influence as Republicans begin considering a future without Trump, and there is no clear path to holding his coalition together.
Defining a post-Trump GOP
The Republican Party鈥檚 identity has been intertwined with Trump for a decade, but he’s constitutionally ineligible to run for reelection despite his musings about Tucker Carlson said people are wondering, 鈥渨ho gets the machinery when the president exits the scene?鈥�
So far, it looks like settling that question will come with a lot of fighting among conservatives. The Turning Point conference featured arguments about antisemitism, Israel and environmental regulations, not to mention rivalries between leading commentators.
Ben Shapiro, co-founder of the conservative media outlet Daily Wire, used his speech on the conference’s opening night to denounce 鈥渃harlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle but actually traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty.”
鈥淭hese people are frauds and they are grifters and they do not deserve your time,鈥� Shapiro said. He specifically called out Carlson for hosting Fuentes for a friendly interview on his podcast.
Carlson brushed off the criticism when he took the stage barely an hour later, and he said the idea of a Republican 鈥渃ivil war鈥� was 鈥渢otally fake.鈥�
鈥淭here are people who are mad at JD Vance, and they鈥檙e stirring up a lot of this in order to make sure he doesn鈥檛 get the nomination,鈥� he said. Carlson described Vance as 鈥渢he one person鈥� who subscribes to the 鈥渃ore idea of the Trump coalition,鈥� which Carlson said was 鈥淎merica first.鈥�
Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet framed the discord as a healthy debate about the future of the movement, an uncomfortable but necessary process of finding consensus.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not hive-minded commies,鈥� he wrote on social media. 鈥淟et it play out.鈥�
If you love America, you鈥檙e welcome in the movement, Vance says
Vance acknowledged the controversies that dominated the Turning Point conference, but he did not define any boundaries for the conservative movement besides patriotism.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 care if you鈥檙e white or black, rich or poor, young or old, rural or urban, controversial or a little bit boring, or somewhere in between,鈥� he said.
Vance didn鈥檛 name anyone, but his comments came in the midst of an increasingly contentious debate over whether the right should give a platform to commentators espousing antisemitic views, particularly Fuentes, whose followers see themselves as working to preserve America鈥檚 white, Christian identity. Fuentes has a growing audience, as does top-rated podcaster Candace Owens, who routinely shares antisemitic conspiracy theories.
鈥淲e have far more important work to do than canceling each other,鈥� he said.
Vance ticked off what he said were the accomplishments of the administration as it approaches the one-year mark, noting its efforts at the border and on the economy. He emphasized efforts to end diversity, equity and inclusion policies, drawing applause by saying they had been relegated to the 鈥渄ustbin of history.”
鈥淚n the United States of America, you don鈥檛 have to apologize for being white anymore,鈥� he said.
Vance also said the U.S. 鈥渁lways will be a Christian nation,鈥� adding that 鈥淐hristianity is America鈥檚 creed, the shared moral language from the Revolution to the Civil War and beyond.”
Those comments resonated with Isaiah White-Diller, an 18 year-old from Yuma, Arizona, who said he would support Vance if he runs for president.
鈥淚 have my right to be Christian here, I have my right to say whatever I want,鈥� White-Diller said.
Turning Point backs Vance
Vance hasn’t disclosed his future plans, but Erika Kirk said Thursday that Turning Point wanted Vance 鈥渆lected for 48 in the most resounding way possible.鈥� The next president will be the 48th in U.S. history.
Turning Point is a major force on the right, with a nationwide volunteer network that can be especially helpful in early primary states, when candidates rely on grassroots energy to build momentum. In a surprise appearance, spoke effusively about Trump and Vance.
Vance was close with Charlie Kirk, and they supported each other over the years. After Kirk鈥檚 assassination on a college campus in Utah, the vice president to collect Kirk鈥檚 remains and bring them home to Arizona. The vice president helped uniformed service members carry the casket to the plane.
Emily Meck, 18, from Pine City, New York, said she appreciated Vance making space for a wide variety of views.
鈥淲e are free-thinkers, we鈥檙e going to have these disagreements, we鈥檙e going to have our own thoughts,鈥� Meck said.
Trump 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 said he would support Vance.
Asked in August whether Vance was the 鈥渉eir apparent,鈥� Trump said 鈥渕ost likely.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 too early, obviously, to talk about it, but certainly he鈥檚 doing a great job, and he would be probably favorite at this point,鈥� he said.
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