‘This Is A Proxy On ’28’: Steve Bannon Weighs In On Conservative Movement’s Future At AmericaFest Amid Ideological Rift
Steve Bannon described the infighting at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest as a battle for the future of the conservative movement.
“This is one of 28 proxies,” Bannon said Friday. The former Trump White House adviser lashed out at Ben Shapiro during his speech, calling the Daily Wire co-founder a “cancer” that “metastasizes.” Bannon accused Shapiro of being a “never-Trump die-hard” who prioritizes Israel over American interests.
“He’s always been against Trump,” Bannon said. He claimed that Shapiro and others were advocating “this concept of a greater Israel and Israel first” rather than an “America First” agenda. (RELATED: ‘It’s Delayed’: Ben Shapiro Lashes Out at Fellow AmericaFest Speakers Candace Owens)
Bannon said the conflict was not about free speech. “This is a question of power politics,” he noted. “And what Charlie Kirk believed in his heart: that America makes decisions for America.”
He presented the fight as a clash between factions. “The supporters of Israel First are Ben Shapiro, Tel Aviv Mark Levin and many others who want to put this before America’s interests,” Bannon said.
Bannon said Kirk shared his views on foreign entanglements. “Charlie absolutely believed what I believe: The Middle East is a sideshow and Israel is a sideshow. »
Bannon linked the movement’s success to its Christian roots. “What was the lesson of Charlie Kirk? That we were a Christian nation gone off the rails,” he said. “We must re-Christianize this country. »
The clash revealed a growing divide among MAGA media figures over Israeli politics and the direction of conservatism heading into the upcoming presidential election.
STEVE BANNON: Ben Shapiro is like a cancer, and that cancer is spreading. It’s cancer and it metastasizes. He tried to take over Breitbart and I kicked him out of there. He attempted to succeed David Horowitz, who was his mentor.
Mark my word. He will take a step into Turning Point… pic.twitter.com/qyvbPYr9p8
– Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom) December 20, 2025
Shapiro sparked the fight Thursday when he called Tucker Carlson’s interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes an “act of moral imbecility.” He also accused Megyn Kelly and others of “cowardice” for failing to condemn Candace Owens’ conspiracy theories about the assassination of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk.
Carlson dismissed Shapiro’s criticism, comparing his lecture to watching “your dog start doing your taxes.”
Kelly fired back Friday, saying Shapiro “had the nerve to call me a friend right before calling me a despicable coward.”
TPUSA defended its decision to allow public confrontations. Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” told Axios that the organization does not script its speakers.
“Debate and open dialogue, not censorship, are part of Charlie’s legacy,” Kolvet added.
The conference attracted more than 30,000 participants. Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Donald Trump Jr. headlined Sunday’s closing session.
