The Absolute Worst-Dressed Stars & Politicians At AmFest 2025

Over the course of four days, tens of thousands of attendees excitedly crowded a convention center in Phoenix, Arizona, for the annual AmericaFest, aka AmFest, conference. Sponsored by Turning Point USA and aimed at young conservatives, the event featured famous political and entertainment figures discussing American values, politics, and religion, with occasional pauses to take jabs at each other as well as, naturally, the liberals. Vice President JD Vance, who had a close friendship with Charlie Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point USA, was among the headliners. 

He, along with other several guests, including Charlie's wife, and the new CEO of Turning Point USA, Erika Kirk, mourned the loss of the slain podcaster and urged the audience to carry on his spirit. However, unlike an awards show where a particular fashion aesthetic is typically the norm, AmericaFest 2025 had no apparent dress code — and it showed. Much like the divided Republican party, the speakers couldn't seem to pick a unified look. Their outfits ranged from businesslike to party-girl, making for a rather peculiar mishmash. These are the stand-outs that stood out in the worst way.

Newly engaged to girlfriend Bettina Anderson, Donald Trump Jr. did the romantic thing by bringing her to AmericaFest 2025 so she could hear him urge all of the young people in the crowd to fight for America by starting a Turning Point chapter on their own campuses. Maybe his fiancée should have done some urging herself — about his wardrobe, that is. The president's eldest son attended the glitzy event in a blazer, jeans, and sneakers, with his white shirt left open collar with no tie. The informality was striking, considering both his businesslike persona and the fact Anderson was turned out in a smart red pantsuit and heels. Was Don Jr. trying to seem relatable to the college kids? If so, he should have checked with his daughter Kai Trump, an actual high school senior, beforehand.

@donaldtrumpjr/Instagram

Riley Gaines was destined to be known as a champion college swimmer before she protested against having to share a fifth-place finish with transgender athlete Lia Thomas. Gaines quickly became a darling among conservatives and the inspiration for President Donald Trump's executive order barring trans women from competing in women's sporting events. Speaking at the 2025 AmericaFest, Gaines once again shared her divisive views on transgender people and encouraged the women in the audience to prioritize marriage and children over other more self-fulfilling goals. Ironically, she chose to deliver that home-and-family message while looking as though she were in the "Apprentice" boardroom, defending her marketing plan for a new brand of coffee. The staid aesthetic and drab color of Gaines' suit were completely at odds with her impassioned words.

Rob Schneider has come a long way from playing the annoying Richmeister ("Makin' copies!") on "Saturday Night Live." In recent years, the comedian and actor has become a staunch conservative who aligns with the Trump circle's views on patriotism, health, and religion. At AmericaFest 2025, he wowed the crowd with a speech many considered one of the most inspirational of the entire event. And yet, it was hard to take Schneider's words seriously when he delivered them in one of the most bizarre outfits of the night. 

Looking like a cross between a 1970s prom king and Elvis Costello, the "Big Daddy" star donned a maroon velvet suit with matching shirt and tie, topped off with his signature fedora. It was a look more suited to one of Schneider's stand-up routines than a politically-charged convention. We're not sure what Rob Schneider's relationship with famous daughter Elle King is like these days, but he clearly didn't go to her for fashion advice.

Showing she's rising above her tragic life, Savannah Chrisley also appeared onstage at AmericaFest 2025. The reality star mainly spent her time singing Erika Kirk's praises, but she also did a bit of evangelizing, spoke of justice reform, and declared that "Donald J. Trump is the greatest president our country has ever seen," (via YouTube). Of course, her opinion has nothing to do with the divisive leader's recent pardoning of her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were serving time for tax fraud. But Savannah might have been thinking of their reputation when she decided what to wear. Her beaded suit was pure white and tied with a demure bow at the collar, as if to tell the world she was totally innocent of anything related to her parents' wrongdoing. Alas, it just ended up aging her.

If fate had turned out differently, Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk would have been headlining AmericaFest 2025 and delivering his message to the young conservative audience. Instead, the honor fell to his widow, Erika Kirk, who has transformed into the organization's leader and spokesperson since his untimely passing. Appearing several times over the course of the conference, Erika Kirk was easily the fashion disaster queen of AmericaFest. First, there was her sit-down with Nicki Minaj, for which the former beauty queen paired a brown satin shirt with oversized white pants, overwhelming her frame. 

Caylo Seals/Getty

She trotted the pants back out for another appearance, this time adding a white jacket that did nothing either for her figure or her complexion. But Erika really brought the cringe at her keynote speech by wearing a spangly gold suit (see above). It detracted not only from the serious message she was imparting, but also from the former pageant queen's public image as a proud torchbearer for her late husband. The look had her Instagram followers completely baffled. "Why is she dressed like a pop star?" one commenter asked. Another was more cynical, snarking, "Nothing says grieving widow like head to toe sequins."