Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro unleashed a furious denunciation of key figures within the MAGA movement during a speech at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest conference, marking a significant public rupture on the right.
A Scorched-Earth Rebuke of Conspiracy Theories
The catalyst for Shapiro's extraordinary outburst was the ongoing promotion of conspiracy theories by firebrand podcaster Candace Owens regarding the September shooting of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk. Shapiro stated he had a "moral obligation to call out" what he described as Owens's "absolutely baseless trash." He accused her of falsely implicating entities ranging from French intelligence and Israel's Mossad to members of TPUSA itself in either Kirk's murder or a subsequent cover-up.
Currently, prosecutors allege that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson carried out the shooting at Utah Valley University due to Kirk's political activism. Despite this, Owens has persistently alleged involvement by Israeli government agents, a claim vehemently denied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "monstrous, big lie." Owens is also embroiled in a separate legal feud with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Condemning 'Cowardice' Among Peers
Shapiro's ire was not reserved for Owens alone. He turned sharply on colleagues he accused of failing to condemn her actions. He labelled this failure "cowardice," specifically naming his "friend," broadcaster Megyn Kelly. He criticised Kelly for "characterising Candace as a young mother and thus shying away from condemning her actions or fibbing about them."
Kelly responded on social media to what she called an "attack on yours truly," suggesting Shapiro should have checked with TPUSA and Kirk's wife, Erika, first. "I'm embarrassed for them," she wrote. Erika Kirk has also condemned Owens's theories and held a lengthy meeting with her earlier in the week.
Broadside Against Carlson and Fuentes
The speech also took aim at former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for his association with far-right commentator Nick Fuentes. Shapiro delivered a particularly harsh characterisation of Fuentes, calling him a "Hitler apologist, Nazi-loving, anti-American piece of refuse" and accused Carlson of having "built Nick Fuentes up" by interviewing him.
Carlson, responding during his own segment at the event, joked that he had missed Shapiro's speech but later watched it and "laughed." He expressed bewilderment at hearing calls for deplatforming at a Charlie Kirk event, remarking, "That's hilarious."
The public airing of these divisions highlights the ongoing ideological and strategic fractures within influential conservative circles in the United States, with Shapiro positioning himself firmly against what he sees as dangerous conspiracy-mongering and extremist associations.
