PHOENIX — Vice President J.D. Vance said he will accept the mantle of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on the final day of the sold-out Turning Point conference in Arizona. The conference was a packed event that featured an appearance by rapper Nicki Minaj and was even invited by President Donald Trump.
Thousands of conservatives gathered at the Phoenix Convention Center in downtown Phoenix for Turning Point’s annual conference, AmericaFest. Vance, who was recently endorsed by Kirk’s widow as a candidate to run for president in 2028, gave a campaign-style speech on Dec. 21 to an audience of about 30,000 people.
“If you miss Charlie Kirk, will you promise to fight for the cause he died for? Will you promise to take our country back from the people who took his life?” the vice president said. “Work on these things, my friend, and I promise you victory.”
Kirk was a co-founder of Turning Point USA, a large political group based in Arizona. He is credited with boosting voter turnout for Trump and Vance in the 2024 election, reaching millions of voters through his podcast and viral debate clips online.
He was assassinated on September 10th at a “Turning Point” event on Utah Valley University’s campus. In the wake of his death, and with the decade-long Trump administration coming to an end in 2028, Republicans took a hard look at what the future holds during the Turning Point conference.
President Trump, who headlined America Fest last year, was summoned to the conference during a speech by his son Donald Trump Jr. “There’s no one who’s done more for me than Charlie, and there’s no one who’s done me better than Erica,” the president said as Donald Trump Jr. held up his cellphone to a microphone.
Vance receives support from Turning Point CEO Erika Kirk
The final day of America Fest was also a prelude to the upcoming presidential campaign, with Vance and Minaj throwing punches at potential Democratic candidates, California Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
In his speech, Vance touted the Trump administration’s accomplishments and criticized Democrats on issues including Christianity, transgender rights, the economy and free speech. He also seemed to be winking at the 2028 campaign.
“We’re going to kick their butt next November,” Vance said, referring to the 2026 midterm elections. “Every year since then.”
Turning Point CEO Erica Kirk said this was Charlie Kirk’s plan, promising that Turning Point would support Vance if he ran for president in 2028. She welcomed the vice president on stage and the two hugged as fireworks went off.
Charlie Kirk was an early supporter of Vance’s 2022 run for the Ohio Senate, and last summer encouraged Trump to choose him as his running mate. “I saw something in him that I was looking for in politics,” said Charlie Kirk, who introduced Vance at a rally in Arizona last year.
Minaj mistakes Vance for an ‘assassin’
Surprise guest Minaj took to the stage to her hit song “Super Bass,” where Erika Kirke interviewed her about her support for the Trump administration and her work on behalf of persecuted Christians in Nigeria. Minaj said she wants her legacy to be that it’s okay for people to “change their minds.”
At one point, Minaj accidentally called Vance an “assassin” while sharing a message for young men.
“Dear young people, you have great role models like our handsome, dashing president, and we have great role models like our vice president, the assassin J.D. Vance. And when I say that–” Minaj paused and covered her mouth.
Erika Kirke told her it was okay, but the crowd shouted that they understood Minaj’s meaning.
“There’s nothing new that I haven’t heard, so it’s okay,” Erika Kirk said. “Who cares if the internet wants to cut it out? I love this woman. She’s an amazing woman.”
The debacle came after right-wing podcaster and former Turning Point contributor Candace Owens promoted a conspiracy theory about Charlie Kirk’s murder. Owens claimed without evidence that Turning Point’s top leaders were involved in his murder.
Mr. Vance also tried to trample on the conspiracy with his remarks, telling the audience that he looked into it to understand Charlie Kirk’s death, but ultimately accepted reality.
Tyler Robinson, 22, is charged with the murder of Charlie Kirk and recently appeared in court for the first time in person. When Vance addressed Robinson, boos erupted from the crowd.
“He is everything the far left wants in our country’s young people. He rejected conservatism, spirituality and small-town family values,” Vance said. “He moved into a small apartment. He became addicted to porn. He became addicted to hate and ended up sleeping with someone who didn’t know whether he was male or female.”
Mr. Kirk will be honored at the convention.
Three months after his murder, nearly every area of the “America Fest” conference held a memorial for Charlie Kirk. As attendees descended the escalator to the main hall, they were greeted by a wall that read “WE ARE ALL CHARLIE KIRK” along with a photo of the late Turning Point co-founder.
A timeline of Charlie Kirk’s life covered another wall in the convention center, marking milestones such as his marriage to Erica Kirk, the birth of his first child, and the launch of his popular podcast, The Charlie Kirk Show. The last date on the timeline was the day of his assassination, with the words “Legacy Cement” and a photo of the day Charlie Kirk was killed.
One of Turning Point’s “PROVE ME WRONG” debate tents used at the Utah Valley University event was on display in the exhibit hall for photo ops. The microphone Charlie Kirk was using when he was shot was displayed on stage in a case.
Podcasters, livestreamers, and television networks broadcast from booths throughout the convention center. FOX News interviewed Utah high school student Elle Anderson, who said she was the last person to take a selfie with Charlie Kirk before he died.
Hunter Kozak, who asked the question Charlie Kirk was answering when he was shot, was sitting at a debate table outside the entrance to the convention center. Kozak is part of the liberal group “Un(Expletive) America Tour” aimed at countering the Turning Point events.
Inside, countless people wore white T-shirts emblazoned with the words “FREEDOM,” a replica of the shirt Charlie Kirk was wearing when he was shot. The T-shirts were further sold at booths inside the convention center and at street vendors.
Turning Point’s early support for Vance is controversial
Susie Neitzke, 57, supports Vance “100%” in the 2028 presidential election. She attended the conference from Waukesha, Wisconsin, with her husband and teenage daughter.
“We want him to be our next president, and we agree with that,” Neitzke said. “We love him as a person. His humor is very close to President Trump’s. I just think it’s great. I think he’ll do a great job as president. He’s going to be successful.”
Mr. Neitzke is a longtime Trump supporter. Before Trump ran for president in 2015, Neitzke said her husband had a homemade Trump sign hanging in their front yard.
Judah Westdorp and Ian Westdorp, teenagers from Fort Collins, Colorado, said they would “absolutely” support Vance in three years.
“Honestly, I love J.D. Vance,” Judah Westdorp said. “I like him better than Donald Trump.”
Trump has done a better job of connecting with people, but Vance is seen as someone who can sustain the conservative movement and keep people united, he said.
“Donald Trump is the businessman and executive we needed to rebuild this country, and J.D. Vance is the leader who can move this country forward once we get our economy back on track,” said Ian Westdorp.
Some Vance fans said they are keeping their options open because there are still three years until the presidential primary.
“I think it’s still too early,” said Beau Minor, an 18-year-old from Bentonville, Arkansas. “I support the vice president, but it depends on what other people do and who else is running at the time.”
Matthew Buchanan, 28, agreed. He runs a marketing and consulting firm in New Jersey.
“I just think it’s too early. We’re talking about 2025, and we won’t have an election until 2028,” Buchanan said. “So many different things can happen between now and then. But at the end of the day, J.D. Vance has done a great job in everything he’s done and speaks incredibly well,” Buchanan said.
Stephanie Murray covers national politics and the Trump administration for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Contact her via email at stephanie.murray@usatodayco.com or on social media @stephanie_murr.
