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AmericaFest in Phoenix erupted into an ugly public feud this week as Ben Shapiro used his platform to call out conspiracy peddlers and name names, setting off a chain reaction among conservative media figures. What was sold as a unity moment for young conservatives instead highlighted a movement at war with itself over truth, tactics, and who gets to speak for the right.
Shapiro did not mince words, accusing colleagues of cowardice for tolerating baseless claims about Charlie Kirk’s death and warning that conspiracies and grifting will hollow out the conservative cause if left unchecked. He framed his remarks as a defense of conservative credibility — a necessary argument if the right hopes to win back persuadable voters who recoil at chaos.
Steve Bannon responded with venom onstage, calling Shapiro “a cancer” and accusing him of being a Never Trumper and “Israel First,” an attack aimed more at destroying credibility than engaging the argument. Bannon’s theatrical assault looked less like leadership and more like the tantrum of a man desperate to remain relevant while the movement debates its future direction.
This public spat is not harmless theater; it’s a leadership test for conservatives heading into the 2028 fight. When heavyweights trade personal smears instead of policy debates, ordinary Americans watching from the sidelines get fed up and tune out—exactly what Democrats want. The factionalism on display at TPUSA should worry every patriot who cares about preserving liberty and getting results.
Ben Shapiro has long criticized figures he sees as grifters and attention-seekers, and his pressure campaign here was a deliberate attempt to purge malignant influences that trade in chaos for clicks. If calling out deceit and opportunism is controversial among some on the right, so be it — the movement needs more backbone and fewer performative provocateurs.
Conservatives who love this country should demand better from their leaders: honest debate, accountability, and a focus on real issues like economic freedom, border security, and national sovereignty. Let the squabbling serve as a wake-up call — unite around principles, not personalities, and stop elevating the loudest grifters who are content to burn the house down for a few more followers.
