Being Called the ‘JD Vance 2.0’ Is the ‘Greatest Compliment
Recent poll shows increasingly close rivalry: The late Charlie Kirk’s final endorsement and a $10 million investment in Elon Musk’s super PAC are reshaping the dynamics of Kentucky’s Republican Senate primary as businessman Nate Morris campaigns ahead of the May vote.
In an exclusive interview on Breitbart News SaturdayMorris told host Matt Boyle that the race remains “between two McConnell puppets and an outside MAGA businessman,” noting that “we’re absolutely in full swing” and describing himself as “the outsider, the disruptor, the person who’s going to bring change to Washington.”
Vote led by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates Jan. 27-29, 2026, out of 800 likely Republican primary voters, showed former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron at 31 percent, Rep. Andy Barr at 24 percent and Morris at 21 percent in a three-way runoff. Among voters who had an opinion about all three candidates, Morris led with 28 percent, compared to 26 percent for Cameron and 25 percent for Barr.
Morris also highlighted the financial aspects support of Elon Musk, who in January donated $10 million to a super PAC supporting Morris, the largest disclosed contribution of the 2026 midterm cycle at the time. Morris said that support “completely changed the race.”
One of the focal points of the discussion was the late Charlie Kirk’s endorsement of Morris. Kirk’s last political supporter before his assassination in 2025 was Morris, and he traveled to Kentucky to launch Morris’ campaign at a Turning Point Action rally. Morris called Kirk’s support “transformational,” saying, “Very rarely in life do you have someone like that who steps up for you like Charlie did and threw his all into this race.” »
Morris said he regularly hears from voters about the rally and its importance. “I travel around the state all the time, Matt, as you know, and I meet Kentuckians every day, and I can’t tell you the number of people, they come up to me and say, ‘Hey, I was there that day with you and Charlie. And it meant so much to me. It meant so much to my child or my grandchild. Thank you for allowing Charlie to come here and be a part of history here in Kentucky, because that was his last political event organized in Kentucky.'”
He stressed that support for his campaign carries continued weight. “It’s a huge responsibility, Matt, and that’s what our team focuses on every day, honoring his legacy, honoring what he stood for,” Morris said. “He paid the ultimate price for what he believed and what he said and what he stood for, and we can never forget him as a campaign, and we can never forget him as a country. I don’t know if we’ll ever see a talent like Charlie Kirk again.”
According to a survey dataWhen voters were informed of Kirk’s support, Morris placed in first place by a margin of nearly two to one.
The interview also discussed legislative issues, including the SAVE Act, which passed the House and would implement voter ID requirements and other election integrity measures. Morris explained, “The rest of the country is paying attention, because they’re tired of Mitch and voting against MAGA, voting against the American people and voting against our interests. »
Discussing the legislation itself, Morris asserted, “We have a chance to pass a measure that will help save this country. We saw in 2020 that we had an election stolen. People have already forgotten that we had an election stolen. We need to take every step possible to protect the American people and their vote, and that’s why this needs to be done.” He added that, in his opinion, “what’s happening now with the SAVE Act is not “just another reminder of the seriousness of Mitch McConnell’s situation.”
Morris further argued that the 2026 primary represents a generational shift, noting that McConnell has been in the Senate for nearly four decades. “He was there before the Internet was created,” Morris continued, “And we have someone like Mitch McConnell who is obstructive, and it’s, it’s all petty. I mean, that’s the sad thing about all of this. I think it’s a combination of jealousy and resentment against the president. It’s all personal. It has no intellectual merit, or it’s bought by one or the other, maybe a little bit of both, Matt, but I think it’s absolutely disgusting and pathetic.
Referring to the longtime senator, Morris observed, “You see those pictures of Mitch, and what does that remind you of? It reminds me of Dianne Feinstein. We remember those pictures at the very end for Dianne Feinstein,” adding, “That’s why I said I was going to serve two terms, serve my term in the United States Senate and be done with it.” He compared this commitment with what he described as career politicians, stating that “our founders never intended” for public service to be a lifelong profession.
Morris also claimed that establishment forces support his opponents, saying: “And his cronies, Matt, threw it all away. They got him. Andy Barr. He’s the preferred candidate. Daniel Cameron is second to them now, but they’re wasting as much money as they can to support my opponents, because this is their last chance for another horse to ride for generations and make money and have influence.” He argued: “That’s why this race is so important, and that’s why we’re going to fight so hard these next 80 days until we are victorious.”
Referring to Democratic critics calling him “JD Vance 2.0,” Morris responded: “I’m happy to be called JD Vance 2.0. I think that’s the highest compliment I can receive as a candidate, and I agree with this message 100%. This couldn’t be more true than I will stand by the president 100%. I’m going to be the same kind of senator as JD Vance.»
In describing his path to victory, Morris cited an “incredible ecosystem” of support, including Turning Point Action, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN), and the Ramaswamy Senate Conservative Fund. “This will go back to the great people of Kentucky, at the grassroots,” he argued, emphasizing that “we are going to have person-to-person contact over the next 80 days.” He said he was convinced that “everyone is ready for change”.
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