Charlie Kirk said the Republican Party must vote early if it is to avoid making mistakes in this year’s midterm elections as supporters of his conservative movement travel to Phoenix for their annual meeting.
The right-wing arsonist said analyzing November’s lackluster results and planning the way forward would be on the agenda for four days of the event.
Around 10,000 young activists are expected at Turning Point USA’s America Fest to hear from Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, Kari Lake, who is questioning her defeat in the Arizona gubernatorial race, and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon listen.
“People come to get recharged and revitalized,” he told .
“And I’m sure the audience will have a lot of questions about what could have gone differently in November.”
Charlie Kirk said the Republican Party must embrace an early vote if it is to avoid the mistakes of this year’s midterm elections ahead of a Turning Point USA convention in Phoenix, Arizona
Attendees will hear from the likes of Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Kari Lake questioning the outcome of the Arizona gubernatorial election
Supporters will gather Saturday afternoon while the GOP faces critical questions.
The Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives with a narrow majority in the new year.
But hopes of flipping the Senate faded along with an expected “red wave.”
Along with several other prominent Republicans, Kirk said the party needs to change its opposition to early voting.
“The game has changed dramatically where telling everyone to just show up on election day is a failed strategy,” he said.
“The Democrats have built a machine and they are very strategically positioned to… expand their reach and expand their way of ballot collection.”
He added that Florida Republicans have already turned to early voting, with excellent results.
Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon will also speak at the four-day gathering of young conservatives in Phoenix, Arizona, which begins Saturday afternoon
“I think we need to embrace the early in-person vote,” he said.
He also raised concerns about the voting machinery in Arizona, where Lake is questioning the result, and said technical issues prevented some of her supporters from voting.
“But I don’t think that’s necessarily played out in many other places across the country,” he said.
And he said the Supreme Court’s decision to overthrow Roe v Wade put Republicans on the defensive,
“I’m very pro-life. I’m 100 percent pro-life, but I don’t think Republicans have been able to resolve this issue,” he said.
“We were branded extremists and unreasonable and it worked.”
Kirk said he didn’t want to give all the answers. Instead, he wanted to see what attendees and speakers had to say.
The interim results have triggered a period of scrutiny for Republicans, in which key figures are put to the test.
Former President Donald Trump has launched a run for 2024 despite being accused of pushing weak candidates.
Former President Donald Trump trails Ron DeSantis among the likely voters in the Republican primary, though Florida’s governor has yet to announce a 2024 candidacy
Don Trump Jr. will also speak at the event
Kevin McCarthy, who expected to be automatically nominated speaker of the House of Representatives, is now struggling to find the votes.
And Ronna McDaniel is facing a challenge from the right for her post as Chair of the Republican National Committee.
Their challengers, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell and attorney Harmeet Dhillon, will both be present at an event in Phoenix.
Kirk said the party leadership was partly responsible for the results.
“I don’t think the use of resources from the top levels, be it the RNC or McConnell, was wise or strategic,” he said.
The gathering of young activists also provides an opportunity to see where the movements stand for 2024. Do they stick with Trump, or do they think Ron DeSantis’ overwhelming victory in the Florida gubernatorial election will give Republicans the best chance of winning back the White House?
None of the front runners are scheduled to appear this year.
Other speakers include Don Trump Jr., Rep. Matt Gaetz, Rep. Lauren Boebert and Sen. Josh Hawley.
Kirk added that there may be another lesson to be learned from the Midterms.
“I’ve done a lot of introspection on this,” he said
“There was this kind of overemphasis on ‘it’s going to be a red wave and a red tsunami,’ and when your expectations are that high, even if you’re having a pretty good year, you suddenly feel like you’ve done miserably. ‘