DAVID MARCUS: Why AmericaFest and Phoenix are perfect models for a midterm convention

Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest is precise overmuch similar a circus, and I mean that successful the champion imaginable way. A circus tin question anywhere, enactment up its tents and enactment connected a show.

The standard of past weekend’s lawsuit successful Phoenix was thing abbreviated of monumental, with 31,000 successful attendance. That isn’t truthful acold disconnected of the estimated 50,000 souls who went to the 2024 Republican National Convention successful Milwaukee.

Erika Kirk greets Vice President JD Vance during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, successful Phoenix.  (Jon Cherry/AP Photo)

To enactment it bluntly, TPUSA on with different organizations, are susceptible of producing a much-needed midterm normal and a metropolis similar Phoenix, which hosted the blimpish confab admirably, is precisely wherever it should beryllium held.

As I’ve written successful this file before, a midterm GOP conventionmidterm GOP convention, though a tad unconventional arsenic a concept, is precisely what Republicans request to enactment Trump and his argumentation wins beforehand and halfway earlier the electorate.

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John and Lucy, a mates successful their 40s who I met astatine the event, told maine it was their archetypal AmFest.

"The vigor is amazing," Lucy said. "I didn’t cognize what to expect, but I didn’t expect this."

John concurred, saying, "This is similar a stone concert, fireworks and large music, I deliberation it gets everyone pumped up."

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The ambiance astatine AmFest was a whizzing and whirring technicolor detonation of airy and sound, each resounding toward the extremity of forwarding the blimpish movement.

Attendees commune during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, successful Phoenix. (Jon Cherry/AP)

There is small uncertainty that 10 minutes astatine a pulsating and aggravated unrecorded lawsuit similar Amfest - oregon a Trump rally - is worthy 10 days of connected surface ads. It hits attendees successful each of their 5 senses, and 50,000 whitethorn not dependable similar much, but that’s a veritable service to nonstop backmost location successful an off-year election.

One anxious young blimpish I met, Matt, who is studying concern successful grad schoolhouse and sports what mightiness present beryllium called the TPUSA mustache, told me, "I’d wholly spell to a midterm convention. Hell, I’d conscionable spell for the parties."

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That whitethorn dependable a spot shallow to some, but it besides sounds similar precisely the benignant of affirmative vigor that a winning governmental question needs.

When it comes to the question of wherever to clasp a midterm convention, Phoenix tin thatch would-be normal planners a batch astir the cardinal question of location, location, location.

In places similar New York City oregon Chicago, AmFest would person brought retired hundreds of protesters, including galore of the unsafe Antifa variety. Even vastly smaller events similar a caller Mom’s For Liberty league successful Philadelphia attracted aggravated mobs.

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In Phoenix, I ne'er saw much than a twelve oregon so, and they were acold much silly than menacing.

It’s worthy noting that the section quality channels did take to absorption astir arsenic overmuch attraction connected this bedraggled set of seemingly unemployed naysayers arsenic they did the tens of thousands wrong the event.

Funny that.

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But astir the cleanable and precise beauteous downtown of brushed airy and cleanable temperatures, 1 felt small to nary resentment oregon pushback astatine the abrupt flood of reddish MAGA hats and sparkly Trump outerwear. Everything was cool.

I asked 1 of my Uber drivers, a longtime Phoenix resident, wherefore helium thought the metropolis was truthful welcoming successful this way.

"Nobody is uptight astir politics. Everyone has weird ideas, we person weird politicians," helium told me, laughing astatine his ain gag for infinitesimal earlier adding, "It's ever been similar this."

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Phoenix is not the lone premier determination for a midterm convention. Oklahoma City is another, arsenic is Nashville. These are thriving places with amended than mean governance that genuinely bash item the accomplishments of the Trump administration.

JD VanceJD Vance told the assemblage astatine AmFest, "Why bash we penalize corporations that vessel American jobs overseas? Because we judge successful the inherent dignity of quality enactment and each idiosyncratic who works a bully occupation successful this country."

The champion spot to merchantability that precise fashionable connection is successful the smaller American cities wherever the jobs are being created, not 1 of the large metropolises inactive clinging to the imagination that 1 time everyone tin conscionable enactment for the government.

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As of now, the GOP has determination conscionable northbound of 7 months to enactment unneurotic a midterm convention, but the bully quality is that it is besides flush with run cash. And the blimpish question has organizations similar TPUSA that are susceptible of coming unneurotic to propulsion it off.

If Republicans privation to clasp onto Congress and springiness Trump a runway for his last 2 years, past their archetypal precedence for the coming autumn should beryllium to bring the circus backmost to town.

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