2,387 videos 1,376,944,188 views US Joined Aug 30, 2018
Charlie Kirk is the Founder and President of Turning Point USA, the largest and fastest growing conservative youth activist organization in the country with over 250,000 student members, over 150 full-time staff, and a presence on over 2,000 high school and college campuses nationwide. Charlie is also the Chairman of Students for Trump, which aims to activate one million new college voters on campuses in battleground states in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election. His social media reaches over 100 million people per month and according to Axios, he is one of the "top 10 most engaged" Twitter handles in the world. He is also the host of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” which regularly ranks among the top news shows on Apple podcast charts.
Charlie Kirk Reveals the Four Toughest Confirmation Fights Coming for Trump's Cabinet Nominees
Charlie Kirk breaks down the battle ahead for President Trump's cabinet confirmations, identifying the four nominees facing the toughest Senate fights. With Republicans holding 53 Senate seats, Kirk warns that senators from deep red states like Idaho, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and South Dakota could determine whether Trump gets his cabinet. He analyzes why Tulsi Gabbard faces the hardest confirmation, followed by Matt Gaetz, Bobby Kennedy, and Pete Hegseth. Kirk also discusses the strategy of recess appointments and calls out Republican senators who voted for Merrick Garland but might oppose Trump's nominees. Joined by guest Kane, they discuss mobilizing grassroots pressure on wavering senators and remind Republicans that they won because of Trump voters, not the other way around.
The Second Election: Trump's Cabinet Confirmation Battle
Bobby Kennedy's appointment as HHS Secretary marks only the beginning of what lies ahead. This is phase one. The real fight starts now with Senate confirmations, and Americans should be grateful for the Republican majority of 53 seats in the United States Senate. It should be 54 or 55 with Kari Lake and possibly even 56 with other races, but regardless, a second election is coming.
This second election involves working Trump's nominees through the confirmation process. The Senate has advise and consent powers, weighing all the president's options before voting on them. Despite noise about opposition to nominees like Matt Gaetz, much of it remains in the shadows—leaking and speculation without senators putting their names on record.
Ranking the Toughest Confirmation Fights
The toughest confirmation fights, in order, will be:
Tulsi Gabbard - The hardest of all, as both Republicans and Democrats will attempt to block the ascendant restraint and realism foreign policy project aimed at ending the neoconservative warmongering monopoly in Washington D.C.
Matt Gaetz - Facing significant opposition but with strong support from the Trump base
Bobby Kennedy - Controversial but commanding bipartisan appeal among voters
Pete Hegseth - Generating enthusiasm but facing establishment resistance
With a 53-seat Republican majority, losing Collins and Murkowski brings the count to 51. Losing one more senator like McConnell drops it to 50, where JD Vance becomes the tiebreaker. The math works at 50, meaning Republicans can afford to lose three senators maximum. However, the goal should be avoiding close calls altogether.
Recess Appointments as a Strategic Option
Recess appointments remain on the table, and President Trump has been pushing hard to establish this standard. New Senate Majority Leader John Thune stated on Bret Baier's show that all options remain available, including recess appointments. Thune emphasized that the Senate will start confirmation hearings as soon as the new Senate is sworn in January, with the goal of having many nominees through their hearings by the time the president takes the oath of office on January 20th.
The question becomes how much Democrats resist or obstruct these nominations. Thune promised to "grind them out" and keep consistently moving forward, making decisions based on the level of cooperation received. While more fire and brimstone would be welcome, this represents a solid starting position for Senate leadership.
Red State Senators: The Key to Trump's Cabinet
Citizens living in Idaho, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and South Dakota might have felt their states played no role in the Trump election as non-battleground states. But these deep red state senators could very well become the issue preventing Trump from getting his cabinet confirmed. Residents of these states, along with North Carolina, may soon find rallies coming to cities near them.
Red state senators from blood red states better give Trump his cabinet. The fight isn't over—there's no time to relax. After celebrating for maybe 15 minutes, the focus shifts to getting Trump's agenda through the House and Senate. Americans deserve to celebrate with champagne flowing, going as crazy as they want, because they earned it. But come mid-January, it will be battle stations again.
Republican Senators and the Garland Standard
Some Republican senators quietly want to kill Trump's cabinet—not all of them, but five or six old bulls specifically from states like Idaho, South Dakota, Kansas, Arkansas, and Mississippi. What makes their potential opposition particularly difficult to defend is their voting record on Merrick Garland.
Many senators from blood red states voted for Merrick Garland as Attorney General. For example, Shelley Moore Capito from West Virginia, now in leadership, voted yes for Garland. It will be extremely difficult for these senators to explain to constituents why they voted for Merrick Garland—who everyone knew would likely criminally charge the former president—but won't vote for Matt Gaetz or other Trump nominees.
This creates a powerful messaging opportunity. Give each nominee a fair shake in the Senate confirmation process. Let them answer tough questions. Matt Gaetz, for instance, dominates all forms of debate and would welcome the toughest questions senators can throw at him. Allow nominees to answer for themselves.
The Recess Appointment Timeline
The first recess generally comes right before President's Day in February, providing the first opportunity for Trump to make recess appointments. In that scenario, a nominee like Gaetz could stay on without formal confirmation all the way to the end of 2025 before facing any required formal confirmation process.
The strategy moving forward involves creating a groundswell where the base continues calling senators who publicly speak out in opposition to certain candidates. The calls shouldn't stop until these senators understand that this is Trump's agenda, part of the mandate. Give the president the benefit of the doubt and the nominees he requested unless there's something wholly egregious—and nothing like that exists with any of these candidates so far.
Trump Voters, Not Republican Voters
Republican senators have a majority because of Trump, not because of their own popularity. The evidence is clear: Senate candidates did not exceed Trump's performance in any of the seven battleground states. In fact, they all lagged behind Trump, with many falling so far behind they were unsuccessful, including races in Arizona with Kari Lake and other contested seats with clear election integrity concerns.
These senators do not have a majority because people wanted Senate Republicans—they have it because of the Trump movement and the Trump agenda. What's frustrating is that some of these senators have contempt for Trump voters, yet they're in leadership positions solely because of Trump voters.
As Rich Baris from People's Pundit has pointed out, the numbers show these are Trump voters, not generic Republican voters. Trump performed on average about five points better than senators in red states. He brought them along, carrying senators like Bernie Moreno in Ohio and others, but they trailed him significantly.
There exists a special class of at least 10 million, possibly 15 million voters who only vote for Trump. He drives these people to the polls. Any senators feeling wishy-washy about approving his nominees need to remember: these are Trump voters, not Republican voters. They best not forget it.
The Path Forward
Looking ahead to 2028 when Trump is no longer on the ticket presents challenges for maintaining this voter enthusiasm, but that's a discussion for another time. Right now, the focus must remain on securing Trump's cabinet appointments.
For those living in deep red states, this is the opportunity to play a meaningful role in the Trump movement. Grassroots pressure will be mobilized through organizations and shows to ensure senators understand the consequences of blocking Trump's nominees. Primary challenges remain on the table for senators who obstruct without legitimate cause.
The celebration of the historic election victory is well-deserved, but come January, another mini-election begins—one that will determine whether Trump can actually implement the agenda voters demanded. Senate Republicans were elected because Trump brought voters to the polls, and those voters expect their senators to deliver Trump's cabinet without unnecessary obstruction.
