The spirit of hope sat uncomfortably beside the spirit of war at Charlie Kirk‘s memorial a couple of weeks ago. Dark screeds cloaked in Christian symbolism clashed with remarks of depth and grace, including Erika Kirk’s stirring call to forgiveness and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s eloquent summary of salvation history.

The GOP must now decide which spirit will define its future as it careens into the post-Trump age. If the war-like spirit becomes predominant, the Republican Party will forfeit its claim to moral authority, alienate swing voters, and ensure the Left’s path back to power.