Trump Jabs Son Don Jr. During Live Call-In At AmFest

President Donald J. Trump delivered a lighthearted moment for thousands of conservatives over the weekend, jokingly threatening to “fire” his son, Donald Trump Jr., during a surprise call-in to Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Arizona.

The president phoned into the event using Don Jr.’s cellphone just moments before his son was set to address the crowd, invoking his familiar catchphrase from The Apprentice as he teased Don Jr. about his upcoming remarks.

Here’s how the exchange unfolded:

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.”

The exchange drew laughter and applause from the crowd of young conservatives, underscoring the president’s close connection with the grassroots MAGA movement and its next generation of activists.

AmericaFest also featured a major political moment earlier in the conference, when Erika Kirk — the widow of slain conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk — formally endorsed Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028.

Speaking from the stage at the Phoenix Convention Center on Thursday, Dec. 18, Erika Kirk publicly backed Vance’s anticipated White House bid, drawing a thunderous response from attendees.

“We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” she told the crowd, according to video of her remarks shared online.

Vance, 41, has not announced whether he intends to seek the presidency following President Trump’s current term, though Republican strategists widely expect any decision to come after the 2026 midterm elections.

If Vance does enter the race, Turning Point USA could prove to be a powerful ally. The organization has emerged as a dominant force in conservative youth activism and MAGA politics, boasting a nationwide campus network, expansive digital footprint, and a proven ability to mobilize grassroots support.

The vice president has maintained close ties to the Kirk family and has regularly appeared at Turning Point USA events, particularly since Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on Sept. 10 during an event at Utah Valley University.

Vance closed out AmericaFest on Sunday, while Erika Kirk has spoken publicly about the personal support she has received from Vance and his wife, Usha, in the aftermath of 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.”