The 2025 America Fest, hosted by Turning Point USA, drew in record numbers after founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination on September 10th. 

With a groundbreaking turnout of over 30,000 attendees, the conference highlighted the many unifying topics and ongoing debates within the conservative movement. Opened by Kirk’s widow, Erika, the tone for the weekend was set early on. She insisted her husband had named the conference America Fest because “who would not love to celebrate America?”

Kirk also detailed the importance of faith in her life, especially in the three months since the death of her husband, and when looking back on her uprooted life, said, “The enemy … will never win” and “God is so good.” She called her husband a “peacemaker,” which she claimed was made even more obvious by the rise of infighting among republicans. 

Erika finished her opening remarks by telling the crowd that the event was an opportunity to be sharpened — and while they wouldn’t agree with all of the speakers, she quipped, “Welcome to America.”

The next three days were filled with speeches, breakout sessions, live Q&A, debates, and more. After Kirk’s opening remarks, well-known political activists like Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson, and others followed. The first night was full of fireworks after Shapiro began his speech by stating the conservative movement was in “serious danger” from not only the Left, but also famous figures like Carlson, Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly, Nick Fuentes, and Steve Bannon. Carlson later shot back at Shapiro for trying to condemn or “de-platform” other political activists and said that protecting open debate “was the whole point of Charlie Kirk’s public life.”

Gwyn Andrews, a former Family Research Council summer intern and TPUSA chapter president, told The Washington Stand that she noticed a lot of big changes at the 2025 America Fest after attending the conference for three years. “One thing that Charlie was known for was bringing unity to the party, setting differences aside, and reminding people that we are all working towards a common goal and that is to preserve our faith and conserve our values.” But she wondered if that way of thinking had been lost after hearing Shapiro and Carlson’s speeches.

“I was discouraged to see that influencers who have platforms with millions of followers took the one opportunity they had on stage in front of new eyes and ears to talk about each other,” Andrews commented. 

Other speakers, like Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins, gave the crowd hope. “I can still take heart because I know [that] no number of lies that can ever withstand the power of truth,” Hawkins declared. Vivek Ramaswamy opened by recounting a conversation he had with the late Charlie Kirk about faith and insisted faith is not seeing to believe, but “sometimes, you have to believe it to see it.” He also said that “being an American in 2026 means believing in those ideals of 1776” like merit, rule of law, free speech, accountability, and ambition.

The third and fourth days wrapped up with some of the most powerful voices among conservatives. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told the crowd that if they want to honor the life and mission of Charlie Kirk, they need to live like Charlie by advancing his principles and adopting his approach. He also highlighted Kirk’s faith in God and understanding of Scripture. He told the crowd, “Your value is inherent because it is given to you by God, and no one can take that away.” He called the audience to love people and to follow 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”

The president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., waded into the fray from day one by trying to temper the infighting. “The real enemy is not Ben Shapiro or Tucker Carlson or Steve Bannon. It’s the radical Left that murdered Charlie and celebrated it on a daily basis.” 

Vice President J.D. Vance closed out the conference, telling the crowd that “every American is invited” to the “America First” movement and that building came through growth, not through tearing others down or “denouncing” other Republicans. The vice president then advised the crowd not to be discouraged by infighting but instead encouraged that they’re part of a movement of free thinkers, and closed by saying, “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.”

Beatrice Moore, another former FRC intern, was surprised by the contentious back-and-forth between some of the larger personalities that opened the conference but also had positive takeaways. “There were multiple speakers who gave me hope for the future of America,” Moore remarked. “They kept echoing the message of the gospel and the importance of returning to the America our Founding Fathers designed.”

Andrews similarly stated that “the atmosphere was phenomenal” and that she was invigorated by the number of passionate young Christians in attendance. “I can also definitely say that this year Christianity was mentioned far more than I had seen or heard in the past,” Andrews noticed. “I am thankful that our vice president got on stage and proclaimed that America is a Christian nation. As the Islamic faith and illegal immigrants continue to infiltrate our borders, this is something the conservatives need to continuously be reminded of. Whether you follow Christianity or not, you need to understand [that Christianity is] where our values come from and what this nation was founded on.”

America Fest left many of us with more questions about the future of the conservative movement. Will this infighting tear us down, or will it be what challenges Republicans to become a party of uniters and achievers? 

Regardless of the high-profile arguments that seem to plague the movement, our hope will never be complete if we find it in politics. Our hope is in God, who is the only one who will ever have the ultimate victory. 

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith” (1 John 5:4).

Caily Shriver served as an intern at Family Research Council.