America has become "desensitized to high-profile killings," with incidents quickly fading from public attention. "Modern shootings? They usually last a couple of news cycles—if that much—and are then gone with the wind." This leads to a perception of "Oh, another one. Nothing new here. Time to move on." Political violence is presented as "as American as apple pie," with a long history of assassinations and attempted attacks on public officials, from presidents to state legislators. Charlie Kirk's Assassination: The recent killing of Charlie Kirk serves as a focal point, drawing international condemnation from some leaders (e.g., Italian PM Giorgia Meloni: "An atrocious murder, a deep wound for democracy") but also being exploited by others (e.g., Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán: "Charlie Kirk's death is the result of the international hate campaign waged by the progressive-liberal left"). Despite calls for unity, Donald Trump's response to Kirk's assassination was to blame the left and justify radicalism on the right. When asked how the country could come together, Trump said, "The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don't want to see crime." He also honored Kirk posthumously with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Democrats are encouraged to adopt specific strategies to counter the current political climate and regain power. "Culture of Corruption" as a Campaign Theme: Democratic strategists Ashley Etienne and Jesse Lee propose focusing on Trump's "culture of corruption and abuse of power," arguing that "the system is rigged" for "wealthy donors and not you." They suggest highlighting specific instances of alleged corruption, such as:

Getting the DoJ to cover up Jeffrey Epstein's crimes.

Firing agency heads for not providing desired information.

Trying to rig the 2026 election with gerrymandering.

"Killing clean energy" for oil company donors.

Weaponizing law enforcement against political enemies.

Health Insurance Premiums: Expect significant increases in health insurance premiums due to the expiration of 2021 subsidies on December 31, 2025, and potential tariffs on imported drugs. Insurance companies are already factoring in Trump's proposed tariffs of "as much as 250%."

Russia Sanctions Push: A bipartisan group of "Russia Hawks," led by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), plans to attach "punitive sanctions on Russia" to an upcoming must-pass government funding bill to circumvent Trump's lukewarm stance on sanctions.