39 | Friday, September 19, 2025Following Kirk's assassination, Republicans sour on direction of the country, new AP-NORC poll finds Print | Front Page | Email this story To:From:Message:From (email):Message:DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republicans' outlook on the direction of the country has soured dramatically, according to a new AP-NORC poll that was conducted shortly after last week's assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Overall, about one-quarter of Americans say things in the country are headed in the right direction, down from about 4 in 10 in June. "It's like, you think you're heading in the right direction with your career and your job, but everything around you is going up in price. About three-quarters of Republican women say the country is going in the wrong direction, up from 27% in June. And not all of the people who think the U.S. is on a worrying trajectory have political violence at the top of their mind.