The fight for the soul of America is underway. And there’s no telling who could win.
Because Steve Bannon broke back onto the scene with a chilling warning for Republicans.
Battle for the Soul of the MAGA Movement
Steve Bannon framed the heated clashes at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest as a defining struggle for the future of conservatism and the Republican Party.
“This is a proxy on ’28,” Bannon declared Friday. The former Trump White House strategist sharply criticized Ben Shapiro, labeling the Daily Wire co-founder “a cancer” that “metastasizes.” Bannon charged that Shapiro remains a “hardcore never-Trumper” who consistently places Israeli interests above those of the United States.
“He’s consistently been against Trump,” Bannon said. He argued that Shapiro and his allies promote “this concept of greater Israel and Israel first” at the expense of the core America First agenda that powered Trump’s victories.
Bannon made clear the dispute transcends mere free speech. “This is about power politics,” he remarked. “And what Charlie Kirk believed in to the core of his being: that America makes decisions for America.”
He portrayed the divide as a clear choice between competing priorities. “The Israel First crowd is Ben Shapiro, Tel Aviv Mark Levin, and many others that want to put that ahead of America’s interests,” Bannon said.
Defending America First Principles
Bannon praised Kirk for aligning with the view that endless foreign entanglements drain American resources and focus. “Charlie absolutely believed what I believe: the Middle East is a sideshow and Israel’s a sideshow to a sideshow.”
Highlighting the movement’s foundational values, Bannon emphasized its deep Christian heritage. “What was Charlie Kirk’s lesson? That we were a Christian nation that got off the rails,” he said. “We have to re-Christianize this country.”
The public confrontations at AmericaFest spotlighted a widening divide within MAGA circles over foreign policy priorities, particularly as the movement looks ahead to the 2028 presidential race and beyond—underscoring the vital importance of keeping America First at the forefront.
Roots of the Public Clash
The fireworks began Thursday when Shapiro condemned Tucker Carlson’s interview with controversial figure Nick Fuentes as “an act of moral imbecility.” He further accused Megyn Kelly and others of “cowardice” for not denouncing Candace Owens’ conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk.
Carlson brushed off the attack, likening Shapiro’s criticism to watching “your dog start doing your taxes.”
Kelly responded forcefully on Friday, noting that Shapiro “had the nerve to call me a friend right before he called me a despicable coward.”
TPUSA stood firmly by its commitment to open debate, refusing to censor speakers. Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show, told Axios that the organization does not control or script its presenters.
“Debate and open dialogue, not censorship, are part of Charlie’s legacy,” Kolvet added.
The massive conference attracted over 30,000 passionate attendees, with Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Donald Trump Jr. delivering powerhouse speeches during Sunday’s closing session.
