When the Watchmen Fight Among Themselves: A Theological Critique of Turning Point U.S.A. AmericaFest
AmericaFest 2025 was intended to be a moment of remembrance, resolve, and renewed purpose. Hosted by Turning Point U.S.A., the conference followed the death of its founder and gathered thousands of young conservatives hungry for clarity, conviction, and leadership.
Instead, what emerged on the main stage was something far more troubling: public infighting among influential speakers. Rather than modeling principled disagreement rooted in humility, several voices chose to openly criticize one another. The result was not unity sharpened by truth, but fracture amplified by pride.
Christian theology has never denied the reality of conflict. Scripture is honest about disagreement among believers. But it is equally clear that how disagreement is handled matters deeply—especially when it is done publicly and before a formative audience.
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
The Speakers and the Clashes
At AmericaFest, disagreement moved beyond substance into spectacle. Several prominent figures used their platforms not only to advance ideas but to undermine one another in front of the crowd.
Ben Shapiro publicly criticized fellow conservative voices, directly calling out Tucker Carlson for platforming figures he considers dangerous and irresponsible. He also rebuked Candace Owens and others for spreading conspiracy-driven rhetoric, describing some personalities within the movement as grifters who erode credibility rather than build it.
Carlson, in turn, dismissed such critiques as elitist gatekeeping, framing the disagreement as a matter of free speech versus ideological control. His response relied heavily on sarcasm and indirect rebuttal, further widening the divide rather than clarifying the disagreement.
Owens’ public claims surrounding Charlie Kirk’s death—claims that were not substantiated—pulled additional leaders into the conflict, ensuring that what could have been a private correction became public controversy.
Other influential voices, including Steve Bannon and Megyn Kelly, were drawn into the broader dispute through commentary, alignment, or criticism, intensifying the sense of factionalism.
The effect was unmistakable: a movement talking past itself, with leaders speaking at one another rather than to one another.
Why This Matters
Scripture does not condemn disagreement. It condemns destructive disagreement.
“If you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.” (Galatians 5:15)
Paul’s warning is not aimed at enemies of the faith, but at those within the same community. Public platforms magnify responsibility. Leaders do not merely express opinions; they shape habits, instincts, and postures in those who follow them. Truth divorced from love does not produce faithfulness—it produces fracture.
“Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)
When correction becomes performance and disagreement becomes humiliation, the aim has shifted. The goal is no longer restoration or clarity, but dominance.
Formation, Not Just Information
Conferences like AmericaFest are not neutral spaces. They form young minds and hearts. Attendees are learning what leadership looks like, how disagreement is handled, and what virtues are rewarded.
When prominent figures mock one another, question motives publicly, and escalate conflict on stage, the lesson is clear: power outranks humility, and winning matters more than unity. That lesson is profoundly un-Christian.
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
Unity Is Not Silence, but It Is Discipline
Biblical unity does not require agreement on every issue. It does require restraint, humility, and love. It asks hard questions before speaking publicly:
Does this correction need to happen here?
Does it build up the body or merely elevate my voice?
Am I seeking faithfulness—or influence?
The church has endured persecution, exile, and marginalization. What it cannot endure is leaders who confuse platform with calling and visibility with authority.
A Needed Course Correction
AmericaFest revealed passion, conviction, and momentum—but it also showed a fault line. If leaders with the largest microphones cannot model Christlike disagreement, the movement will continue to fracture regardless of how compelling its message sounds.
The way forward is not weaker convictions. It is deeper ones—convictions shaped by the cross, where power is laid down rather than leveraged, where correction is offered with fear and trembling, and where unity is guarded as a witness to Christ Himself.
Anything less is not strength. It is noise.
