Charlie Kirk Threatens To Hold ‘Red State Tour’ in Home States of GOP Senators Wobbly on Trump’s Cabinet Picks

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who founded the wildly successful pro-Trump group Turning Point USA, is threatening red state senators with protests and rallies in their back yards should they refuse to support President Trump’s cabinet nominees. He specifically named potentially rally locations in states that are represented by more moderate, establishment GOP senators with close ties to leadership. In a livestream on X on Thursday, Mr. Kirk threatened senators with a “red state tour” as part of “a pressure campaign” to get Republican senators on board with every one of Trump’s nominees, many of whom are facing quiet pushback from the upper chamber’s incoming majority. On Thursday, Congressman Matt Gaetz was forced out of the nomination fight for attorney general seemingly due to a lack of support from the Senate GOP. “This is going to be one of the biggest projects we have ever embarked upon,” Mr. Kirk said on the livestream. He says at the beginning it will be an “encouragement campaign,” rewarding those senators who come out in favor of Trump’s nominees. But he warned that such an effort would “activate into a pressure campaign for red state senators.”“We will bring this roadshow on the ground, by the way, to Rapid City, South Dakota; to Sioux Falls, South Dakota; to Boise, Idaho; to Fayetteville, Arkansas; to Topeka, Kansas; to Tupelo, Mississippi. You picking up what I’m putting down? This isn’t gonna be a swing state tour — this is gonna be a red state tour,” Mr. Kirk said. His naming of those cities and states is notable because they are all home to GOP senators — many of whom are committee chairmen — who are closely aligned with Senator McConnell who have also been silent on some of Trump’s current nominees. For South Dakota, he is obviously referring to Senator Thune, the Republican leader-elect, and Senator Rounds, who was likely to vote against Mr. Gaetz. Idaho is home to both the incoming chairman of the Finance Committee and the incoming chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee — Senator Crapo and Senator Risch, respectively. In Arkansas, Mr. Kirk is likely referring to Senator Boozman, the top Republican on the Agriculture Committee. For Kansas, he is referring to Senator Moran — a more moderate ally of leadership who will soon take over as the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. Mississippi’s senior lawmaker, Senator Wicker, is the soon-to-be Armed Services Committee chairman, who will oversee the confirmation process of Trump’s nominee to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth. “If you are a red state senator that has been benefiting from the votes of Donald Trump’s coattails for the last ten years, well then you’re gonna have to justify to your voters why you’re voting against Tulsi Gabbard, or you’re voting against Bobby Kennedy,” the Turning Point USA founder says. Mr. Kirk has even set up a website detailing how people can get involved with his pressure campaign. It includes a detailed list of all of Trump’s announced cabinet nominees and high-level staff appointments in the West Wing. Users can also click on a page that has a complete list of which Republican senators voted for which cabinet nominees put up by President Biden over the last four years. At the bottom of the website’s homepage, it asks users to send in their personal information in order to stay up-to-date on the potential tour stops. “Submit your info below and we will follow up with you shortly regarding next steps on how we will be working as a grassroots army to make sure Trump’s nominations get through!” Mr. Kirk’s website says.

Charlie Kirk Threatens To Hold ‘Red State Tour’ in Home States of GOP Senators Wobbly on Trump’s Cabinet Picks

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