{"id":2697826,"date":"2026-11-04T08:27:57","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T13:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignthe-gop-midterm-disaster-can-be-traced-back-to-charlie-kirks-assassination\/"},"modified":"2026-11-04T08:32:43","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T13:32:43","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignthe-gop-midterm-disaster-can-be-traced-back-to-charlie-kirks-assassination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignthe-gop-midterm-disaster-can-be-traced-back-to-charlie-kirks-assassination\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP Midterm Disaster Can Be Traced Back To Charlie Kirk Murder"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignthe-gop-midterm-disaster-can-be-traced-back-to-charlie-kirks-assassination%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2697826&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Republicans woke up after a heavy midterm loss scrambling to explain what went wrong. Many blame the Iran war and its effect on the cost-of-living, or policies like tariffs and strict immigration enforcement, while others put the blame on Trump and the broader MAGA movement and call for returning to pre-Trump approaches.<\/p>\n<p>A less-remarked factor, the piece argues, is the fallout from Charlie Kirk\u2019s assassination. Before that event, GOP momentum and enthusiasm were strong; Trump\u2019s approval was only slightly underwater and higher than it had been for much of his first term. In the days before the killing, democrats and parts of the media were trying to build controversy around U.S. strikes on drug boats, and federal judges had blocked both trump\u2019s tariffs and his deployment of troops to address riots in Los angeles.<\/p>\n<p>Kirk\u2019s murder, however, was devastating for the coalition. It rattled supporters and undermined Trump\u2019s image as a protector-an image that had helped rally his base through previous threats and legal battles. Even though there were isolated claims blaming the U.S. military,Trump largely avoided broad public blame; nonetheless,many voters perceived a failure of government protection. Some argue state and local authorities bore more immediate duty, and TPUSA has said it plans to sue Utah Valley University over alleged security lapses.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI\u2019s initial handling of the investigation was bumpy: the suspect remained at large for more than 30 hours before surrendering to local authorities. Than-FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino pledged an exhaustive probe and to look into any wider network, but so far only Tyler Robinson has been charged.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the assassination, the administration labeled Antifa a domestic terrorist organization.Months later, the Justice Department secured convictions of several Antifa members for an attack on an ICE facility. the article contends that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nadales-i-used-to-be-antifa\/\" title=\"Nadales: I Used To Be Antifa\">left-wing political violence<\/a> and threats have persisted: an alleged attempt to attack the White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner, threats against Kirk\u2019s widow that prompted an arrest, and continued dangers faced by immigration-enforcement agents.Reporting has also claimed some Trump officials relocated to D.C.-area military housing for security amid harassment and alleged foreign plots.<\/p>\n<p>The piece urges a tougher approach: Trump should intensify actions against Antifa and similar groups, aggressively prosecuting even lower-level offenses to deter escalation. It also calls on Republicans to use the lame-duck session to confirm nominees, restore anti-weaponization funding, and pressure more moderate Republicans to act rather than plan for a return to power.<\/p>\n<p>The author recommends cutting funding to institutions that allegedly foster political violence-especially universities that fail to discipline students who promote violence-and exploring creative ways to pull public support from such organizations.<\/p>\n<p>conservatives are advised to prepare for continued \u201clawfare and violence\u201d by building legal defenses, security plans, and organizational infrastructure to protect activists and sustain the movement while out of power, rather than focusing solely on recruitment and ideological training.<\/p>\n<p>Joshua Monnington is identified as the author; he is an assistant editor at The Federalist and formerly worked at Regnery publishing,holding a degree from Midwestern baptist theological Seminary.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>As Republicans stumble out of bed the morning after undergoing a drubbing that confirmed their worst fears, there\u2019s the predictable rush (for better or worse motives) to place the blame and explain the midterm defeat. Many point to the Iran war, the affordability crisis it aggravated, and the coalition members it alienated. Others blame tariffs, immigration enforcement, or Trump and the MAGA movement more broadly, arguing for a return to a pre-Trump status quo. <\/p>\n<p>Less discussed is the reality that Republicans\u2019 midterm shellacking can be traced at least as far back as the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Just before that horrific event, the GOP was still riding a celebratory post-victory wave and enthusiasm was high. Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/approval\/donald-trump\/approval-rating\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">approval rating<\/a> was just 5.5 points underwater at the time, down from a high of slightly more than 50 percent approval just after his inauguration, according to RealClearPolitics\u2019 polling average. It was still higher than it had ever been <em>at any point<\/em> during his first term.<\/p>\n<p>In the days leading up to Kirk\u2019s death, Democrats and the corporate media <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/09\/02\/us\/politics\/trump-venezuela-boat-drugs-attack.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">were trying<\/a> to drum up a scandal over U.S. military strikes on drug boats \u2014 but drug lords are unsympathetic characters, and Americans are not as a rule altogether opposed to blowing things up. Somewhat more threatening to Trump\u2019s agenda, federal judges <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trump-takes-tariffs-fight-us-supreme-court-2025-09-04\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">had blocked<\/a> both his tariffs and his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/us-news\/law\/trumps-troop-deployment-to-los-angeles-violated-federal-law-judge-rules-85f4b237\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">deployment of troops<\/a> to calm anti-immigration law rioting in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>Then came Kirk\u2019s assassination, which, unlike the setbacks above, was an unmitigated disaster. His death and the accompanying fallout shattered Trump\u2019s (in retrospect) tenuous coalition, dismayed his supporters, and sowed the seeds of the blackpilling running amok in the GOP. Aside from a certain multidimenstionally challenged individual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/candace-owens-drops-yet-another-181849849.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">asserting<\/a> the U.S. military was responsible for the killing, Trump avoided widespread blame. But people intuitively understand that a primary responsibility of government is to protect its citizens, and it was a blow to Trump\u2019s \u201cI\u2019d take a bullet for you\u201d aura, which had galvanized his base as he survived assassination attempts and battled Democrat lawfare campaigns. <\/p>\n<p>There are good arguments that immediate responsibility to protect Kirk may have more properly been laid on the shoulders of state and local law enforcement and others (TPUSA has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/kirk-family-powerful-evidence-utah-law-could-derail-wrongful-death-case\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a> its intent to sue Utah Valley University for alleged security failures), but Kirk\u2019s death has cast a shadow over the second Trump administration and marked off a downward spiral that may have reached electoral rock bottom last night.<\/p>\n<p>In the immediate aftermath, the FBI <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc4.com\/news\/charlie-kirk-shooting\/tyler-robinson-surrender-what-happened\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">faced<\/a> a rocky start in its investigation into the murder, with the suspect running loose for more than 30 hours before turning himself in to local law enforcement. Then-FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/charlie-kirk-alleged-assassin-taken-over-leftist-ideology-while-fbi-probes-wider-plot-bongino.amp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">vowed<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/09\/15\/us-news\/fbi-probing-possible-extended-network-that-helped-charlie-kirk-shooter-tyler-robinson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">that<\/a> \u201cthere\u2019s not going to be a stone left unturned\u201d and promised to investigate <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/09\/12\/he-may-have-pulled-the-trigger-but-charlie-kirks-suspected-killer-didnt-act-alone\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">others<\/a> who may have been involved in the assassination or had prior knowledge of the attack. To date, Tyler Robinson is the only individual who has been charged in the case.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">There is one obvious hole in the Charlie Kirk assassination story, which is that leftist trans freaks were posting about the killing before it happened. That would seem to indicate that there were potentially even more leftists involved in the plot. If there\u2019s a conspiracy, it\u2019s\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MattWalshBlog\/status\/1998840894104224122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 10, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In the weeks following Kirk\u2019s murder, the Trump administration quickly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/fact-sheets\/2025\/09\/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-designates-antifa-as-a-domestic-terrorist-organization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">designated<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/09\/16\/antifa-is-responsible-for-charlie-kirks-assassination\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Antifa<\/a> a domestic terrorist organization. Nine months later, the Department of Justice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/leader-antifa-cell-members-north-texas-sentenced-100-years-prison-terrorist-attack-ice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">garnered<\/a> a major victory, achieving the conviction of eight Antifa members who were then sentenced to a combined 450 years behind bars for their attack on an ICE facility.<\/p>\n<p>Left-wing <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/10\/06\/va-dems-defend-assassination-fantasies-by-asking-who-hasnt-wished-murder-on-their-enemies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">political <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/07\/21\/propaganda-press-hides-anti-ice-motive-behind-latest-act-of-left-wing-violence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">violence<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/07\/15\/the-real-threats-against-scotus-are-not-bipartisan-theyre-coming-from-the-left\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">threats<\/a>, however, have continued apace. In April 2026 a Democrat <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/13\/democrats-falsely-claim-trump-assassination-attempts-were-staged-to-cover-up-their-own-domestic-terrorism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">infected<\/a> by corporate media narratives armed himself and rushed through a security checkpoint, allegedly in an attempt to assassinate Trump and potentially his cabinet members, who were attending the White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner. <\/p>\n<p>In May 2026, San Antonio police <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/news\/ksat-investigates\/2026\/05\/28\/man-arrested-for-threats-to-kill-erika-kirk-ahead-of-turning-point-usa-event-in-san-antonio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arrested<\/a> a leftist who threatened to kill Kirk\u2019s widow, Erika, who had withdrawn from an event with Vice President J.D. Vance <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/erika-kirk-addresses-very-serious-threats-that-kept-her-from-tpusa-event-11830126\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">due to security threats<\/a> the previous month. The alleged would-be assassin wrote, \u201cDeath to Erika Kirk and every single speaker there!! America will live on without those scum on this earth. Every Christian nationalist shall perish in the bombing that will take place at every single Turning Point rally and event,\u201d according to his arrest warrant. <\/p>\n<p>Federal agents enforcing immigration law <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/09\/25\/axios-nyt-blame-republicans-for-noticing-leftist-motives-of-anti-ice-shooter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">have<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/14\/ice-agent-renee-good-rammed-with-her-car-suffered-internal-bleeding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">faced<\/a> constant threats (and acts) of violence, and Democrats unabashedly <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/13\/democrats-falsely-claim-trump-assassination-attempts-were-staged-to-cover-up-their-own-domestic-terrorism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">proclaim<\/a> their approval of political violence. By fall 2025 \u201cAt least seven senior political officials in the Trump administration ha[d] <a href=\"https:\/\/washingtonstand.com\/article\/political-harassment-forces-trump-administration-officials-into-military-housing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">relocated<\/a> to housing on D.C.-area military bases \u2026 as the officials seek security from domestic harassment and foreign plots,\u201d The Washington Stand noted, citing reporting from The Atlantic.<\/p>\n<p>Prominent right-wing figures continue to live under the threat of leftists attempting to inflict physical harm, while even everyday conservatives also face risks, especially in Democrat strongholds such as college campuses and large cities. Trump, who will continue to control the Justice Department, needs to double down on his war against Antifa and other leftist organizations that engage in or foment violence. Its members should face <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/09\/10\/the-anniversary-of-charlie-kirks-murder-should-fuel-more-prosecutions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">prosecution<\/a> for spraypainting on concrete and spitting on policemen, before they pick up guns and start shooting at people. Prosecuting lower offenses aggressively is the only way to avoid <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/19\/only-government-force-can-stop-democrats-from-plunging-america-into-darkness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">escalation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps individuals like this would merit some attention:<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>UNHINGED: A deranged Abdul El-Sayed supporter attacked two people at the University of Michigan. <\/p>\n<p>She then said \u201cI should have killed you when I had the chance\u201d while in handcuffs. <\/p>\n<p>We cannot coexist with these people. <\/p>\n<p>FOLLOW ME THE NEXT DROP WILL BE SHOCKING <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/AD7I0rjRi9\">pic.twitter.com\/AD7I0rjRi9<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Eagle Signal Usa\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@EagleSignalUsa) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/EagleSignalUsa\/status\/2117492693849022869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 3, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Additionally, Congress\u2019s lame-duck session should be exploited, not abandoned. The Senate could at very least finish confirming Trump\u2019s list of nominees \u2026 and perhaps revive the anti-weaponization fund? Trump should bully the RINOs into doing something other than sitting around and plotting how they\u2019re rule once he\u2019s gone.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also a good time to look at all the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/11\/02\/report-islamic-groups-urged-violence-called-america-satan-and-got-47-million-from-taxpayers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">institutions<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/abc3340.com\/news\/nation-world\/columbia-university-disciplines-70-students-for-violent-anti-israel-protests-federal-funding-trump-administration-department-of-education-antisemitism-israel-gaza-hamas-palestine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sowing the seeds <\/a>of political violence and find creative ways of pulling their funding. Schools that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/news\/local\/2026\/10\/30\/utsa-student-under-review-for-reciting-poem-about-charlie-kirks-assassination\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">can\u2019t figure out<\/a> whether to punish students for propagating violence should see the spigot turned off. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harvardmagazine.com\/harvard-in-the-crosshairs\/trump-administration-harvard-funding-freeze-appea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">It wouldn\u2019t be a new strategy<\/a> for the admin; but now the time to ramp things up to max capacity.<\/p>\n<p>Looking beyond the administration, it\u2019s time for conservatives at every level to prepare for a fresh onslaught of lawfare and violence. Republicans need to assemble teams of lawyers, legal funds, security plans, and an infrastructure that can sustain the movement for an extended period out of power in the face of a physically violent opposition. It\u2019s not enough for the GOP to simply draw people in, motivate them to vote, mentor them, teach them conservativism, and let them loose. It needs to protect them.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Joshua Monnington is an assistant editor at The Federalist. He was previously an editor at Regnery Publishing and is a graduate of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>GOP reeling after rout, blame-shifting begins<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3134,"featured_media":2697827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Screenshot-2026-11-03-at-2.17.01-AM-1024x576.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[44291,35305,32371,87469,32504],"class_list":["post-2697826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-charlie-kirk","tag-conservative-politics","tag-election-analysis","tag-i-cant-help-with-promoting-unverified-or-defamatory-claims-about-a-real-person-here-are-five-neutral-alternative-tags-you-could-use-instead-gop-midterms","tag-political-strategy"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Screenshot-2026-11-03-at-2.17.01-AM-1024x576.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2697826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3134"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2697826"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2697826\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2697830,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2697826\/revisions\/2697830"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2697827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2697826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2697826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2697826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}