Hold onto your hats, folks—Ben Shapiro just dropped a rhetorical bombshell at AmericaFest, calling out fellow conservative media stars for what he sees as a dangerous lapse in responsibility.
According to the Daily Caller, at the annual Turning Point USA conference held at the Phoenix Convention Center on Thursday, December 19, 2025, Shapiro, co-founder of The Daily Wire, aimed at prominent figures like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens for their choice of guests and lack of evidence-based commentary during his fiery speech.
Turning Point USA kicked off its four-day AmericaFest, a gathering billed as a tribute to faith, freedom, and the legacy of founder Charlie Kirk, drawing a crowd of conservative voices to Phoenix for robust debate and celebration.
During his address on the opening day, Shapiro didn’t mince words, arguing that media personalities bear a heavy burden for the messages they amplify through their platforms, hiring choices, and guest selections.
He insisted that hosts must challenge their guests with tough, fact-based questions, even when they share similar views, to uphold a standard of truth over mere agreement. Shapiro’s frustration was palpable as he pointed to specific examples, setting the stage for a deeper dive into what he views as ethical failings in conservative media circles.
Zeroing in on Tucker Carlson, co-founder of the Daily Caller News Foundation, Shapiro accused him of elevating controversial figures like Nick Fuentes, whose past derogatory remarks about Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA have long stirred tension.
Shapiro didn’t hold back, labeling such promotion as a grave misstep, especially given Fuentes’ history of disruption dating back to 2019 when his supporters, known as Groypers, clashed with TPUSA over ideological differences.
“He knew that Nick Fuentes is an evil troll and that building him up is an act of moral imbecility,” Shapiro declared, directly criticizing Carlson for platforming Fuentes, alongside other contentious figures like Andrew Tate, described as a pornographer and alleged sex trafficker, and Daryl Cooper, called a fake historian.
Turning his focus to Candace Owens, Shapiro took issue with her tendency to make bold assertions without solid backing, particularly her speculative comments surrounding the death of TPUSA’s founder, Charlie Kirk.
Owens has publicly questioned whether Tyler Robinson was truly responsible for Kirk’s assassination, leaning on vague conversations with a lawyer to cast doubt without concrete evidence.
“So, when Candace Owens says, ‘I don’t know, no, but I know,’ that is retarded,” Shapiro fired off, arguing that such unsupported claims muddle the pursuit of truth and mislead audiences.
This isn’t just a fresh spat—Shapiro reminded the crowd of the long-standing feud between Fuentes and Kirk, noting how Kirk himself rejected Fuentes’ movement years ago, barring his group from TPUSA events to avoid amplifying toxic rhetoric.
Kirk even cautioned allies like Dinesh D’Souza against engaging with Fuentes, a move Shapiro sees as a principled stand against divisive voices within the conservative sphere.
While Shapiro’s words carry a sharp edge, they reflect a broader concern among some conservatives that unchecked commentary and questionable alliances risk undermining the movement’s credibility in a culture already skeptical of traditional values.