CPAC 2023: Five takeaways from the conservative summit where Trump reigned supreme

An entourage of Republican stars and conservative darlings joined the annual gathering. Conservative Political Action Conference This week, Washington, D.C., provided a measure of the GOP base’s mentality as it relates to the 2024 battle It’s time to get into gear.

Ex-President Donald TrumpThe confab’s dominance was evident as the other hopefuls for 2024 failed to get traction, while CPAC-goers expressed their desire for more confrontational politics.

TRUMP REVEALS PLAN FOR ‘LARGEST DOMESTIC DEPORTATION OPERATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY’

The confab offered five important takeaways.

Trump wins CPAC crown

CPAC was a success as grassroots conservatives wore MAGA clothing and asked questions about Trump’s influence on the conservative movement.

The overwhelming majority of attendees favored Trump over his possible rivals including the former governor. Ron DeSantis. It was clear in the dozens of interviews that were conducted by Ron DeSantis. Washington Examiner The CPAC straw poll This positioned Trump as the obvious favorite for CPAC. DeSantis received 20% support while Trump got 62%.

Trump was first at CPAC in 2011 and this win wasn’t always possible. He has also won nearly every CPAC straw vote since his election to the presidency.

DeSantis was one of the top 2024 hopefuls. This ensured that there would be a MAGA love-fest.

CPAC loses its pull

Trump might have called CPAC Trump’s conference, but CPAC was plagued with lower attendance and more prominent sponsors than past conferences. It was clear to see the increasing divide between conservative movements and Republican Party this year.

“I think there’s a bit of a division in the party, and I think the party needs to get its act together. We’ve got a country to save,” The Seminole County Republican Executive Committee Chairman Bruce Cherry told the Washington Examiner. He claimed that 2023 CPAC was less than any of the two other CPACs he had attended.

Except for Elise Stefanik (R.NY), almost everyone from the congressional Republican leadership was absent. DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence attended the event, while Sen. Tim Scott (R–SC) skipped this year.

CPAC’s annual event at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, outside Washington, D.C., was plagued by controversy. This year, it will be the first return since the COVID-19 pandemic. Matt Schlapp was charged with sexual misconduct. He denies the allegations.

Traditionalist and moderate conservatives complain that the group has become a Trump cult, and drifted too far right.

Transgenderism takes center stage

It was during the