Ben Shapiro delivered a pointed critique of Tucker Carlson and other conservative figures during his speech at Turning Point USA’s America Fest opening night on Thursday. The event marked the first major conference held by TPUSA without its founder, Charlie Kirk.
Shapiro opened his remarks in Phoenix by labeling figures like Carlson and Candace Owens as “frauds and grifters” who endanger the conservative movement. He argued that the movement faces threats not only from the left but also from those who “traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty.” Shapiro specifically condemned Carlson for remaining silent while Owens spread conspiracy theories about Kirk’s assassination, calling such behavior “cowardice.”
“The fact that they have said nothing while Candace has been vomiting all sorts of hideous and conspiratorial nonsense to the public square for years is just as cowardly,” Shapiro stated. He also criticized Carlson’s approach as “lazy, stupid and misleading” for implying insider knowledge without providing evidence.
Shapiro urged Carlson to take responsibility for hosting controversial guests like White nationalist Nick Fuentes while failing to condemn their positions. The clash occurred amid tensions over Carlson’s scheduled speech at the event later that night.
Carlson responded with a mix of humor and defiance, quipping, “I just got here, and I feel like I missed the first part of the program. Hope I didn’t miss anything meaningful.” He dismissed Shapiro’s calls for deplatforming as “hilarious,” emphasizing his belief that Kirk died fighting for free debate: “Charlie stood firm in his often-stated and deeply-held belief that people should be able to debate.” Carlson concluded, “I kind of thought we’d reached the end of that [cancel culture], and as far as I’m concerned, we have, and I’m not gonna play by those rules.”
