Interviews from CPAC: Kentucky Senate candidate Nate Morris, Charlie Kirk’s last political endorsement

By Easton Martin | March 31, 2026

Kentucky Senate candidate Nate Morris is running to replace the highly controversial Senator Mitch McConnell, who has held the office since 1985. McConnell has repeatedly criticized President Trump, and is widely regarded as a “RINO” (Republican in name only). The race to fill this seat has tremendous implications not only for the American people, but for President Trump as well, allowing him to potentially gain another ally in Congress.

The following transcript is an interview with Nate Morris from CPAC.

Q: “Nate, thanks so much for being here. So, tell us a little bit about yourself. I know personally you’ve overcome a lot of adversity in your life and you’ve become quite successful in business. What does that mean to you in running for the people of Kentucky and the American people? What kind of perspective does that give you?”

Nate Morris: “Well, I’m so proud that I’m a ninth-generation Kentuckian. My family’s been in Kentucky since the very beginning. They came over the Cumberland Gap. They’re originally from Appalachia, a place called Morgan County, one of the poorest counties in the United States. But proud people, fighters, and this is what Appalachia and mountain people are all about. I grew up, I was raised by a single mom. We were on food stamps. We fought for everything like many single parents. I had grandparents that helped me while my mother worked. And all my family, they were union people. They worked in a factory, 19 of my family members worked in an auto plant building cars and trucks for Ford Motor Company. I had the great opportunity to get a great education in Kentucky through public schools. Not the same kind of education people are getting today, unfortunately, with all the indoctrination and woke nonsense. But I got some scholarships, worked my way through college and grad school, and became an entrepreneur. And a lot of people say, why did you become an entrepreneur? I said, it was really simple. I was broke, and I got into a place called the waste management industry, an industry that is known as the Tony Soprano industry. Tough, tough people. And I started with very little money, about $10,000 on a credit card, and built that into a $700 million revenue business. All 50 states, 20 countries. And that’s ultimately how I met the vice president, J.D. Vance. We became friends about 10 years ago through the business world. And he’s ultimately the one that encouraged me to look at this seat.”

Q: “As you know, Mitch McConnell’s been in office over 40 years. What do you feel like are some of the greatest ways he’s failed the people of Kentucky that he represents?”

Morris: “Well, look, I think like many career politicians, there was a time when they maybe did some good stuff. You know, 20, 30 years ago, I think Mitch probably did some great things for Kentucky. The last 10 years have been an absolute disaster. He’s stabbed this president in the back over and over again. And it’s petty, it’s jealousy, it’s all personal. He despises our president. And this is why we need term limits. I’ve been very clear about this. No one should ever make their career in politics. I’m going to serve two terms and be done, and go back to business. I’ve got a life outside of politics, like our friend Mike Lindell. That’s what our founders intended. They come in to serve. They come in to help the government. But he (Mitch McConnell) has continued to stab this president in the back over and over again, supporting amnesty, supporting red flag laws, backing up the truck for places like Ukraine, continuing to get us into conflicts that we shouldn’t be in. And I think this is why he’s got to go, and his whole apparatus has got to go. This race is being defined as Trumpism versus McConnellism. The person that I’m running against owes everything to Mitch. He would cease to exist without Mitch. And he recently, just about a year and a half ago, said Mitch McConnell was his mentor on television. And on top of that, he said Mitch McConnell deserves a statue in our state capitol over Daniel Boone. I mean, can you believe that? I mean, that’s absolutely crazy. So this is what I’m up against. And I’m with the president 100%. You look at the people around us. I was Charlie Kirk’s last endorsement. Elon Musk has recently endorsed us, and helped fund a lot of the things that are going to be helpful to the campaign. I’m honored to have those endorsements. And ultimately, I believe that’s why we’re going to win come May 19th, because Trumpism will win all day in Kentucky over McConnellism.”

Q: ‘I’ve heard you talk a little bit about proof of citizenship to vote. Obviously, the SAVE Act is a big thing right now. What’s your stance on that? Should we have a national voter ID?”

Morris: “Absolutely. Say no more. Look, I think we have been invaded by so many illegals. My opponents won’t say it. The liberal media won’t say it. We’ve got 20 million people that came into this country we know nothing about. We’re full. Every one of those folks have got to go back. Charlie Kirk and I used to talk about this all the time. This is a fight for the country, but this is also a fight for Western civilization. You know, garbage took me all over the world. I spent a lot of time in the United Kingdom. Their country is gone. You look over there, they have lost their country. And the thinking that created all that mess is coming over here. That’s why we’ve got to get so tough. That’s why the SAVE America Act has got to pass. And my opponent will say that he’s for the SAVE America Act, but what he won’t follow up with is the way we get it done is getting rid of the zombie filibuster. And you are gaslighting the voter of Kentucky. You’re gaslighting the people when you say you’re for it, but you’re not willing to oppose the zombie filibuster. And that’s because of Mitch McConnell. Mitch McConnell doesn’t want it to happen, and he won’t say it. So absolutely you should show an ID. Stephen Miller said if illegals didn’t vote in our election, we would likely pick up the Republicans’ 20 congressional seats all over the country. Think about that. It’d be a whole different country. So we’ve got to get it done. We’ve got to get it passed. It’s shameful that it’s even a debate in this country. The only reason why you wouldn’t want to show an ID at an election is to cheat. That would be the only reason, right?”

Q: “Do you have any thoughts on how we should address the proliferation of liberal judges who just keep letting career criminals back out onto our streets?”

Morris: “Well, I’ve been very clear about this. We can’t get tough enough on crime. We can’t get tough enough in this country. I’ve called for the National Guard to come to Louisville, one of the cities in Kentucky that has been infiltrated by Marxist BLM activists who overran the city. We’ve got to clean house. Our law enforcement have not had the support that they’ve needed at the local level, and so I called on the president, bring the National Guard. Let’s drain it once and for all. Get rid of this swamp that’s existed around all this crime. But these judges, they ought to be impeached. They ought to be defunded. They ought to be thrown out of office. And I tell all the good people listening to this, we’ve got to make sure we elect the right people, because a place like the United States Senate, there’s also a component where we confirm these judges. It’s people like Mitch McConnell that have confirmed these liberal judges that are causing us all these problems. And these are things that my opponent would support, God forbid, if he ever got into the United States Senate.”

Q: “As you mentioned, you were the final political candidate endorsed by Charlie Kirk; that’s a pretty big deal. So what does winning this race mean to you personally knowing that?”

Morris: “Well, you know, I’ll never forget this. The vice president called me about a year and a half ago, and said, hey, McConnell’s retiring. You should take a look at the seat. And, you know, the vice president is a friend. And obviously, when somebody like that gives you the nudge, you take a hard look. The next phone call I made was to Charlie Kirk. And he said, this seat is so important. He said, if you do this, I will come to Kentucky and I will help you launch your campaign. And he made good on his promise. Charlie Kirk’s last political event was done in Kentucky to launch our campaign, because he knew how important it was to get the right person to replace Mitch. We’d had enough of the McConnell mafia, as he said verbatim that day. I’m so touched that we were the last, but we understand the responsibility. And that’s why we’re going to win. We’ve got to win. We’ve got to win it for Charlie. I was just with Erika two weeks ago out in Arizona. She did an event for us. And she confirmed the same thing, that Charlie wanted you to win so bad. And he put everything he had into our race. He was involved in so much of our campaign and getting out the message and getting out to the people of Kentucky why we need a clean break from Mitch.”

Q: “How can people support your campaign?”

Morris: “Come to our website, https://natemorris.com/ Follow me on X, @NateMorris, and I would ask everyone for a contribution. Invest in this race. You say, why do I need to invest in a race in Kentucky? This is a national seat. Whoever gets this seat will be a national spokesperson figure in our party, because we’re finally draining the swamp, getting rid of the stench of Mitch, as the president said, once and for all.  Be part of this national movement with us. Invest in this race. And to the folks in Kentucky or surrounding areas, talk to your neighbors, talk to the people at church, talk to everybody you know. Make sure that we’re getting the word out where we stand as a campaign and why we’re going to be a complete 180 for Mitch and why we’ve got to get elected.”