Tim Pool Disinvited from TPUSA’s AmericaFest: A Fracture Over Foreign Policy and Donor Influence

On November 19, 2025, popular podcaster and commentator Tim Pool publicly revealed that he had been disinvited from speaking at Turning Point USA’s (TPUSA) flagship event, AmericaFest 2025, scheduled for December 18–21 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Pool, who hosts the massively viewed Timcast IRL show and has been a recurring figure at past conservative gatherings, shared the news during a livestream, expressing disappointment but wishing the event well. He contrasted his situation with Tucker Carlson, who remains on the speaker lineup, quipping that Carlson is “difficult to cancel.”

Pool speculated on the reasons behind the snub, pointing to his recent criticisms of U.S. foreign aid. “Maybe it’s because I said we should stop funding Israel,” he stated, also mentioning opposition to aid for Ukraine. “Maybe it’s because I said we shouldn’t be giving money to Ukraine.”

While TPUSA has not issued an official explanation, the timing and Pool’s comments have fueled speculation that his increasingly skeptical stance on unconditional support for Israel—and his platforming of guests who openly criticize Israeli policies—crossed a red line for the organization.

Pool has long positioned himself as an “America First” independent, but in recent years, he has grown vocal about prioritizing domestic issues over endless foreign entanglements. He has argued that billions in U.S. aid to Israel (and Ukraine) divert resources from pressing needs at home, such as border security and infrastructure. More controversially, his show has featured guests ranging from paleoconservatives to outright Israel skeptics who question the influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups like AIPAC on U.S. politics.

Though Pool himself has met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the past and rejects outright antisemitism, he has pushed back against what he sees as mandatory allegiance to Israeli policies in conservative circles, especially amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.

This incident highlights deeper tensions within the post-Trump MAGA ecosystem, particularly around Israel. TPUSA, long a bastion of staunch pro-Israel conservatism, relies heavily on major donors, many of whom are prominent Jewish philanthropists committed to strong U.S.-Israel ties. Critics argue that this funding dynamic enforces a de facto litmus test: deviate from full-throated support for Israel, and access to platforms (and resources) dries up.

The pattern feels eerily familiar to events surrounding TPUSA’s late founder, Charlie Kirk. In the months before his 2025 assassination, Kirk reportedly faced backlash for softening his own unconditional pro-Israel rhetoric. According to sources close to the organization and public claims by figures like Candace Owens, Kirk began hosting guests critical of Israeli actions in Gaza and questioned endless aid.

This allegedly led to donor pullouts—some estimates claim millions in threatened or withdrawn funding. Kirk was said to be “frightened” of the Israel lobby’s reach and even declined offers of financial support tied to pro-Israel alignment. His death, while officially unrelated, amplified conspiracy theories tying donor pressure to internal rifts.

Pool’s disinvitation fits this mold. While he is not as overtly critical as fringe figures like Nick Fuentes (whom Pool famously clashed with on air in 2022 when Fuentes veered into antisemitic territory alongside Kanye West), Pool’s refusal to “go hard enough” in favor of Israel—coupled with giving airtime to dissenting voices—appears to have made him persona non grata. In a movement fracturing over “America First” purity versus neoconservative holdovers, TPUSA seems to be drawing a firm line: unwavering support for Israel is non-negotiable, donor sensitivities be damned (or perhaps because of them).

As AmericaFest approaches, this episode underscores a broader realignment on the right. With Charlie Kirk gone, the big-tent conservatism he championed is straining under ideological purity tests. For attendees and observers, it raises a pointed question: Is TPUSA still a youth-driven populist force, or has it become a gatekept enclave prioritizing certain foreign alliances—and their funders—over open debate? Tim Pool’s exclusion suggests the latter, and it may signal more fractures to come in a movement still searching for its post-2024 identity.