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Turning Point USA will kick off its very popular annual AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona, on Thursday, marking the first time the organization has hosted the event since the assassination of its former president and founder, Charlie Kirk.
“Our first AmericaFest without Charlie begins today,” the organization posted on X. “Though we feel his absence in every way, what he built will continue here, louder and stronger than ever. Let’s make this one count. For Charlie.”
The event will run until December 21 at the Phoenix Convention Center. It will be a “powerful celebration of faith, freedom, and the legacy of our founder, Charlie Kirk,” the event site proclaimed.
The event aims to energize high school and college students to return to their communities and campuses to carry on Charlie Kirk’s mission to preserve and defend American freedom:
“Though our hearts are heavy, we do not grieve as those without hope. Charlie’s legacy endures in his family, in Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action, and in every person he inspired to live with conviction. This December, we will move forward together – fighting harder, standing taller, and refusing to surrender.”
Featured speakers at this year’s event include Vice President J.D. Vance and news personalities Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, Megyn Kelly, and Jesse Watters, as well as high-profile leaders of the America First movement.
Donald Trump Jr., Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and a slate of well-known lawmakers, communicators, and pastors will also be speaking at the event.
AmFest is unfolding just two weeks before the close of 2025 and will kick off the 2026 midterm election rush. It also comes just one week after the posthumous release of Charlie Kirk’s final book, Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life.