Dan Bernstein Presses Cubs’ Matt Shaw Over Turning Point USA Appearance

Overview

• Shaw is scheduled to speak at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest from Dec. 18–21 in Phoenix, according to the event listing.
• On his podcast, Chicago radio host Dan Bernstein urged Shaw to “own” the decision and described the event in harsh terms, calling it a “Nazi-adjacent pep rally.”
• Shaw previously missed a late-season Cubs game to attend Charlie Kirk’s memorial and was scratched on the day Kirk was killed, decisions that drew scrutiny during the playoff push.
• Reporting says the Cubs played a man down rather than use a roster designation because Shaw was not eligible for MLB’s bereavement list, and the team lost that game.
• Shaw has said his relationship with Kirk was rooted in their Christian faith, and the AmericaFest lineup features high-profile conservatives including J.D. Vance, Donald Trump Jr., Steve Bannon and Megyn Kelly.