Opinion: Vice President Vance was right to stand up to cancel culture

Vice President J.D. Vance has consistently chosen to demonstrate leadership and dignity amid conservative infighting, proving that he has what it takes to be the next POTUS

Opinion-editorial by Summer Lane | December 26, 2025

At this year’s AmericaFest 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona, Vice President J.D. Vance cut a presidential figure: standing on the stage, paying tribute to his late friend Charlie Kirk, the VP looked across a crowded auditorium and delivered a heartfelt speech focused on unity.

While some other conservative voices and commentators at AmFest chose to duke out their differences from behind a podium, the vice president chose to zero in on a message aimed at bringing patriots together.

“President Trump did not build the greatest coalition in politics by running his supporters through endless, self-defeating purity tests…,” Vance said. “He says Make America Great Again because every American is invited.”

“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 should be doing something after Charlie’s death that he himself refused to do in life. He invited all of us here.”

This moment, these words, were a stark rebuttal to conservative infighting – a stinging slap in the face for those on a not-so-subtle quest for moral superiority. Since the late Turning Point USA president’s death, there has been a rash of discontent, demoralization, and controversy between podcasters like Candace Owens, Ben Shapiro, Megyn Kelly, and Tucker Carlson.

It’s all a moot point, because the America First coalition wasn’t built by perfect people doing perfect things. It was built by imperfect people who united over a common love of country and freedom.

In 2024, the country – and the movement – united wholly behind President Donald Trump’s campaign. This unity, this shared objective, resulted in a blowout election victory for President Trump last November. The momentum, the shared vision and hope, brought everyone together.

This unity cannot be lost, and it is wise and timely for Vice President J.D. Vance to remind conservatives in the movement that Charlie Kirk was incredibly generous and welcoming to many with diverse viewpoints.

Vice President Vance’s comments were cool and collected, and his appearance on the AmFest stage was reminiscent of a father chiding a room full of unruly children, reminding them to get their act together before it’s too late.

And the clock is ticking. The 2026 midterms are right around the corner, and with a tenuous spirit of disunity lingering in the air among so-called influencers, it’s important to rally everyone’s time, money, and energy into winning together rather than criticizing each other.

Vice President Vance’s leadership at AmFest was a much-needed breath of fresh air and, perhaps, a foreshadowing of the vice president’s leadership skills as he is poised to be the likely 2028 Republican presidential nominee.