Members of the Republican faithful gathered in Dallas for the final day of the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, an annual event known for high-profile appearances from leading MAGA figures. Celebrations of President Trump’s agenda dominated, but notably the president himself was missing — skipping CPAC for the first time in a decade.
His absence comes as his second term faces tensions: Saturday marked one month since the U.S. began strikes against Iran, a move that has exposed divisions within his usually loyal base.
The war in Iran looms over CPAC
Although polls suggest many Americans oppose the war, CPAC remained largely a Trump-focused event. “I think a lot of people feel more confident in [Trump] doing it than a lifelong politician that wants to follow the rules of their party,” said Jeff Hadley, who drove from Raleigh, N.C., to attend.
A Pew Research Center survey found nearly eight in 10 Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of the war. But support falls sharply among younger Republicans and conservative-leaning independents — groups Trump gained with in 2024. Thirty-year-old Army and Marine Corps veteran Joseph Bolick from Tyler, Texas, said he feels betrayed by Trump’s “no new wars” promise and no longer supports him, arguing the country should focus on domestic needs.
From the stage, one of the few critics of the war was former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz: “A ground invasion of Iran will make our country poorer and less safe,” he said. “It will mean higher gas prices, higher food prices, and I’m not sure we would end up killing more terrorists than we would create.”
Midterm conversations largely took a backseat
CPAC has traditionally been a hub for conservative organizing and candidate networking, but this year fewer campaigns treated it as a must-stop. Only a handful of Senate and House hopefuls spoke.
Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley, running for Senate in North Carolina, told attendees the midterms are crucial for preserving Trump’s agenda. “We will make absolutely sure that Donald Trump is going to get a four-year term, not a two-year term,” he said, warning that Democratic gains could stall the GOP’s priorities.
CPAC saw a lot of new faces this year
Several prominent conservatives were missing — from top Trump surrogates like Vice President JD Vance to media personalities such as Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly. While familiar figures like Steve Bannon appeared, the lineup leaned more on newer names in the movement, who are less central to Trump’s traditional orbit.
The final speaking slot on Thursday went to 23-year-old content creator Nick Shirley, who went viral for alleging fraud in Minneapolis daycare centers run by Somali immigrants. International conservative activists also featured, including former British prime minister Liz Truss and Eduardo Bolsonaro, reflecting CPAC’s effort to export MAGA-style conservatism overseas.
Despite the different roster, much of the program circled Trump’s key policy priorities and emphasized culture war issues and immigration.
MAGA without Trump?
CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp led a discussion titled “Can’t We All Just Get Along,” urging conservatives to acknowledge differences. “How boring would CPAC be if it was all: unity, agreement, vanilla, right?” he said. Schlapp added that the coalition holding the movement together does so because many people “embraced Trump and Trumpism.”
As 2028 approaches, Trump’s absence underscored a central uncertainty: he may be the single figure who unites large parts of the party, and when he’s not present, it’s unclear who can fill that role.