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PHOENIX, AZ – vice president JD Vance closed AmericaFest 2025Turning Point, the first U.S. convention since the assassination of founder Charlie Kirk, told a rowdy crowd that the America First movement was open to free-thinking people who loved their country.
Vance appeared shortly after Erica Kirk, who took the reins of TPUSA after her husband's death in September, sat down with a surprise guest. Nicki Minaj. The vice president told the crowd that the political coalition President Trump has built is strong enough to overcome divisions within.
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Vice President J.D. Vance performs at TPUSA AmericaFest in Phoenix. (Kylo Seals/Getty Images)
“People of all faiths come to our banner because they know that America first movement will make our lives better,” he continued. “They know Democrats don't care about anything other than their children being transgender.”
Pledging to support “every patriot in this room to protect the country we love so dearly,” Vance dismissed the conservative infighting that took place earlier in the conference, without naming any of the podcasters or topics addressed.
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“President Trump has failed to build the greatest coalition in politics by subjecting his supporters to endless, self-defeating purity tests,” Vance said as some of the previous speakers referred to each other amid disagreements over Israel, aid to Ukraine and other contentious issues on the right.
“We don't care if you're white or black, rich or poor, young or old, rural or urban, controversial or a little boring, or anything in between… [P]People of all faiths come to our banner because they know the America First movement will make their lives better. And they also know that Democrats don’t care about anything except their kids being transgender.”
“So if you love America, if you want us all to be richer, stronger, safer and prouder, you have a home on this team. I didn’t bring a list of conservatives to denounce or deplatform, and I really don’t care if some people—I’m sure we’ll have a fake news media—judge me after this speech.”
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However, later in his speech he said that such struggles were not necessarily a sign of a weak or unstable movement.
“Some of you are impatient about the pace of progress, and my answer to that is 'okay,'” he said, apparently referring to criticism of the Republican Congress's progress on the America First agenda.
“I know some of you are discouraged by disagreement on any number of issues. Don’t be upset,” he added.
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“Wouldn’t you rather lead a movement of freethinkers who sometimes disagree than a bunch of drones taking orders from others? George Soros? – he joked.
He said Charlie Kirk once said He said politics is not “a dress rehearsal or a game,” but a series of decisions that will determine the future of the country.
“My friends, do this and I promise you victory: I promise you closed borders and safe communities. I promise you a good job and a decent life. Only God can promise you salvation and paradise. But together we can fulfill the promise of the greatest nation in the history of the Earth,” he said, concluding his speech.
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During his speech, he delved into what is important to realizing the slogan “America First.”
“We have much more important work to do than cancel each other: We have to build, and President Donald Trump is the builder,” he said. “Now we are building a better country. We build by adding, by growing, not by destroying.”
Vance said 2025 would be the first year in more than half a century with negative net migration and that millions illegal immigrants either left the US or were deported.
“When you restore sanity to the border, it shows up everywhere,” he said, pointing to declines in rental costs, gas prices, inflation and unemployment.
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“We have made it clear that in the United States we believe in hard work and merit—we are not one for anyone. [a certain way] because of their race or gender, so we consigned DEI to the dustbin of history where it belongs.”
He said that honor Kirk's life, Trump administration will continue to work to end the “scourge of leftist violence,” including arresting not only Antifa members who throw bricks, but also “those who bought the brick—and we're going to bring them to justice”—referring to dark, deep-pocket leftist interests.
