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STEPHANIE MURRAY   USA TODAY NETWORK7 hours ago

PHOENIX — Vice President JD Vance said he would pick up conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s mantle on the final day of Turning Point’s sold-out conference in Arizona, a packed event that featured rapper Nicki Minaj and a call-in from President Donald Trump.

Thousands of conservatives have gathered at the Phoenix Convention Center in downtown Phoenix for Turning Point’s annual “AmericaFest” conference. Recently endorsed by Kirk’s widow for a possible 2028 presidential run, Vance delivered a campaign-style speech on Dec. 21 to an audience of some 30,000 people.

“If you miss Charlie Kirk, do you promise to fight what he died for? Do you promise to take the country back from the people who took his life?” the vice president said. “My friends, commit to these things and I promise you victory.”

View |39 PhotosTurning Point AmericaFest 2025 attracts thousands of GOP faithful

Turning Point’s AmericaFest attracts thousands each year to the annual Phoenix event. Photos highlight interesting moments and scenes from the event.

Kirk was the co-founder of Turning Point USA, a massive political group based in Arizona. He was credited with boosting turnout for Trump and Vance during the 2024 election and reached millions through his podcast and viral debate clips online.

He was assassinated at a Turning Point event on the Utah Valley University campus on Sept. 10. In the wake of his death — and as the decade-long Trump era nears its end in 2028 — the GOP grappled with what the future will look like during the Turning Point conference. 

Trump, who headlined “AmericaFest” last year, called in to the conference during a speech by his son, Donald Trump Jr.“Nobody did more for me than Charlie, and there’s nobody better than Erika,” the president said as Donald Trump Jr. held his phone up to the microphone.

Charlie Kirk shot and killed in Utah: Maps, graphics, video show fatal shooting

Vance receives support from Turning Point CEO Erika Kirk

The final day of “AmericaFest” was also a preview of a presidential battle to come, with Vance and Minaj throwing punches at possible Democratic contenders California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

In his speech, Vance promoted the accomplishments of the Trump administration and slammed Democrats on issues including Christianity, transgender rights, the economy, and free speech. He also seemed to wink at a 2028 campaign.

“We are gonna kick their ass next November,” Vance said, referring to the 2026 midterm elections. “And every year after that.” 

Turning Point CEO Erika Kirk has pledged Turning Point’s support for Vance if he runs for president in 2028, saying that it was Charlie Kirk’s plan. She welcomed the vice president on stage, and they shared a hug while pyrotechnics blazed.

Charlie Kirk was an early supporter of Vance’s 2022 Ohio Senate bid and encouraged Trump to select him as a running mate last summer. Charlie Kirk, who introduced Vance at an Arizona rally last year, said, “I saw something in him that I’ve been looking for in the political landscape.”

Minaj mistakenly calls Vance an ‘assassin’

Surprise guest Minaj took the stage to her hit “Super Bass,” where Erika Kirk interviewed her about supporting the Trump administration and her activism on behalf of persecuted Christians in Nigeria. Minaj said she wants her legacy to be that people know “it’s OK to change your mind.”  

At one point, Minaj mistakenly referred to Vance as an “assassin” while sharing her message for young men. 

“Dear young men, you have amazing role models like our handsome, dashing president and you have amazing role models like the assassin JD Vance, our vice president. And when I say that —” Minaj paused and covered her mouth. 

Erika Kirk told her it was OK, while people in the crowd shouted that they understood what Minaj meant. 

“There’s nothing new under the sun that I have not heard, so you’re fine,” Erika Kirk said. “If the internet wants to clip it, who cares. I love this woman; she’s an amazing woman.” 

Charlie Kirk death: How online reactions to Charlie Kirk’s killing test limits of First Amendment

The flub came as Candace Owens, a right-wing podcaster and former Turning Point contributor, has spread conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s murder. Owens has claimed without evidence that top Turning Point leaders were involved in his killing.

Vance also sought to tamp down on the conspiracies in his remarks, telling the crowd that he researched them to make sense of Charlie Kirk’s death but eventually accepted reality.

Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with Charlie Kirk’s murder and recently made his first in-person court appearance. When Vance addressed Robinson, the crowd booed.

“He is everything the far left wants from our young men. He rejected the conservatism and the spirituality, the values of a small-town family,” Vance said. “He moved into a small apartment. He became addicted to porn. He became addicted to hate and he ended up sleeping with somebody who doesn’t know whether they’re a man or woman.” 

Kirk honored at convention 

Three months after he was killed, Charlie Kirk was memorialized in nearly every area of the “AmericaFest” conference. As attendees descended an escalator to the main hall, they were welcomed by a wall that read “WE ARE ALL CHARLIE KIRK” with a photo of the late Turning Point co-founder. 

A timeline of Charlie Kirk’s life covered another wall in the convention center, noting milestones like his marriage to Erika Kirk, the birth of their first child, and the start of his popular “The Charlie Kirk Show” podcast. The final date on the timeline was his assassination date, with the words “LEGACY CEMENTED” and a photo of Charlie Kirk the day he was killed. 

One of Turning Point’s “PROVE ME WRONG” debate tents used at the Utah Valley University event was on display for photos in the exhibition hall. The microphone Charlie Kirk was using when he was shot was displayed on stage in a case. 

Podcasters, livestreamers, and TV networks broadcast from booths all around the convention center. Fox News interviewed Utah high schooler Elle Anderson, who says she was the last person to take a selfie with Charlie Kirk before he died. 

Hunter Kozak, who asked Charlie Kirk the question he was answering when he was shot and killed, sat at a debate table outside the convention center entrance. Kozak is part of the “Un(expletive) America Tour,” a liberal group that aims to counter Turning Point events. 

Inside, countless people wore white T-shirts emblazoned with the word “FREEDOM,” replicas of the shirt Charlie Kirk wore when he was shot. More iterations of the T-shirt were on sale at booths inside the convention center and from vendors on the streets.

View |80 PhotosSee the most powerful images from Turning Point’s AmericaFest 2025

The four-day event in Phoenix aims to bring young people into the conservative movement. Top GOP officials attend.

Mixed opinions on Turning Point’s early Vance endorsement 

Suzie Neitzke, 57, is “100%” behind Vance for president in 2028. She attended the conference with her husband and teenage daughter from Waukesha, Wisconsin. 

“We want him for the next president, and we’re on board,” Neitzke said. “We love him as a person. His humor is very close to Trump’s. I just think it’s great. I think that he is going to do a great job as president. He will make it.” 

Neitzke is a longtime Trump supporter. Before Trump entered the presidential race in 2015, Neitzke said she had a Trump sign in her yard that was handmade by her husband. 

Judah Westdorp and Ian Westdorp, teenagers from Fort Collins, Colorado, said they would “absolutely” support Vance in three years. 

“I love JD Vance, honestly,” Judah Westdorp said. “I like him more than Donald Trump.” 

Trump does a great job of connecting with people, he said, but sees Vance as the person who can sustain the conservative movement and continue uniting people.

‘Broader chilling effect’: College students less comfortable expressing beliefs after Kirk death

“Donald Trump was the businessman and, like, the executive we needed to fix the country. And JD Vance is the leader who can drive this country forward after we get the scale tipped back to normal again,” Ian Westdorp said. 

Some Vance fans said they’re keeping their options open because the presidential primaries are still three years away.

“I still kind of think it’s too early. I would support the vice president, but it just depends on what other people run and who else is running at that time,” said Bo Miner, an 18-year-old from Bentonville, Arkansas. 

Matthew Buchanan, 28, echoed that view. He runs a marketing and consulting company in New Jersey.

“I just believe it’s way too early. It’s only what, 2025, and the election wouldn’t be until 2028,” Buchanan said. “There’s so many different things that can happen between now and then. But ultimately, JD Vance has done such a great job with everything that he’s done and he speaks so incredibly well,” Buchanan said. 

Stephanie Murray covers national politics and the Trump administration for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Reach her via email at stephanie.murray@usatodayco.com and on social media @stephanie_murr.