President Donald Trump took a playful swipe at his son Don Jr., ahead of the latter’s speech at the Turning Point USA AmericaFest event in Arizona over the weekend. The president, who had called into the event and was speaking to the crowd over Don Jr.’s cellphone, harkened back to his chief executive role on his hit TV series “The Apprentice” when he mock-threatened to “fire” his son.
Here’s how the conversation went:
Trump JR.: “I wanted to call in a little guest. He may not be here today, but I wanted to make sure he had a chance to say hi. Mr. President —“
Trump (on speakerphone): “Hello everybody. Hello everybody.”
Trump JR.: “Can you guys hear?”
Trump: “Oh, I want to be with you, but I’ll be with you soon, and I just want to say that nobody did more for me than Charlie, and there’s nobody better than Erika, and you are the greatest people on Earth. We won in a landslide, and we’re going to continue to do it, and I just want to thank everybody. You got out there, and they voted, and they pressed doorbells, and I just want to thank you all, and I hope my son’s doing a good job representing me. Otherwise, I’ll have to say you’re fired, Don. You’re fired. So thank you very much, and have a great day, and I hope Don makes a great speech. If he doesn’t make a great speech, let me know about it. I’ll give him hell.”
Trump JR.: “Well, Dad, there’s literally —“
Trump: “Thank you everybody. Don, go have a good time, and say hello to Erika. Go have a good time, everybody.”
Trump JR.: “Well, there’s 30,000 young patriots in this room. The movement continues. They’re looking forward to supporting you and everything that you, Charlie, and really everyone that’s part of this movement stands for. So thanks, dad. We appreciate it. We love you. We’ll speak to you soon.”
Trump: “Thank you very much, and thank you very much everybody. We love you. Have a great Christmas.”
WATCH:
Erika Kirk, the widow of slain conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, endorsed Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028 while opening Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference.
Nearly two months after a widely shared embrace between the two, Erika — who has assumed leadership of the organization following her husband’s death — appeared on stage at the Phoenix Convention Center on Thursday, Dec. 18, to formally back Vance’s anticipated White House bid.
“We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” she told thousands of activists, per video of her speech that was posted online. The announcement was met with loud applause.
Vance, 41, has not said whether he plans to run for president after President Donald Trump’s current term, though Republican strategists widely expect any decision to come after the 2026 midterm elections.
If he does run, Turning Point USA could offer a significant boost. The nonprofit has become a major force in conservative youth organizing and MAGA politics, building substantial influence within the Republican grassroots through its nationwide campus network, expansive digital reach and ability to mobilize activists on behalf of candidates.
The vice president, a longtime friend of the Kirks, has been a frequent presence at Turning Point USA events since Charlie Kirk was fatally shot Sept. 10 at an event at Utah Valley University.
Vance spoke Sunday on the closing day of AmericaFest. Erika, 37, has said that Vance and his wife, Usha, have been a source of support since her husband’s death.
“He’s been a blessing,” she told Fox News host Jesse Watters in October, People noted. “Him and Usha, they are the most incredible people. Incredible. With such genuine love. I mean, just everything they did for us was so humanized. They just, they were there for us. They’ve been there for us.”
