This past weekend's AmFest, an annual conservative gathering put on by the late Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA, wrapped up on Sunday.
One of the final speakers of the weekend was Vice President JD Vance. And one excerpt of his talk really made the rounds afterwards.
VP VANCE: "President Trump did not build the greatest coalition in politics by running his supporters through endless, self-defeated purity tests... I didn't bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to de-platform... The best way to honor Charlie is that none of us here… pic.twitter.com/jyMQotlW1O
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 21, 2025
This is likely in reference to a speech given by Ben Shapiro, who challenged AmFest attendees to call out folks who believe a "big tent" should include hateful bigots and those who borderline appease them. So with all due respect to the VP, Ben was exemplary in honoring Charlie in that they both wanted nothing to do with those who were not only openly antisemitic but also those would stand idly by while such behavior festered.
Also, VP Vance's assertion that people like Shapiro look to "de-platform" others with whom they disagree is a strawman. Shapiro's deeply held belief is that no speech should be squelched, but rather torn apart rhetorically with fact-filled dissent. And it's something he's built his career on and has done so wildly successfully.
It was also pretty revealing that the likes of Candace Owens and Steve Bannon went right to ad hominem attacks on Shapiro as opposed to substantively refuting anything he said.
In the end, I love what Allie Beth Stuckey had to say regarding calls for "unity."
Unity is good, but truth is better. And sometimes, truth divides.
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) December 22, 2025
Why does this happen so much more on the right than on the left? Because the left is seeking to destroy - the church, the family, the West - and destruction requires little agreement. Use whatever tool you want,… pic.twitter.com/NNnqPJfcBY
It's rather telling that those who are presented with inconvenient truths are the ones who are making the loudest calls for "unity" as opposed to substantive discourse. Perhaps it's because they're incapable of the latter, which makes the former unsustainable.
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