CPAC 2024 WISH YOU WERE HERE
By Laura Benson
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) was recently held at the Gaylord National Harbor, Maryland with the theme “Where Globalism Goes to Die.” The event kicked off with the first ever CPAC International Summit that denounced the tyrannical regimes of Russia, China, Brazil and Joe Biden in addition to issuing resolutions. The General Session ran from Thursday through Saturday and the program brought both domestic and international leaders to the stage. It was three days of big names discussing topics such as the weaponization of our government and justice system (lawfare), illegal immigration, the economy, energy, the impact of COVID, international conflicts and concerns, election integrity, child trafficking, many of the failed policies of the Biden Administration (too numerous to list).
CPAC has spread internationally and representatives from those organizations in Mexico, Japan, and Australia spoke about the importance and challenges of advancing the conservative movement in their respective countries and the negative impact of the Biden administration on their country.
Panels were filled with industry leaders, elected officials, conservative media hosts and activists. The first day ended with a speech from Nayib Bukele, President of El Salvador who was recently re-elected in a landslide victory. He stated that globalism is already dead in his country and if we want it to die in the USA, “we must be willing to unapologetically fight against everything and everyone that stands for it—fight for your freedoms, fight for your rights.” He described how he has made his country one of the safest in the world and as a result, some residents who once left are now returning.
On Saturday, President Trump spoke to a room filled-to-capacity with a high energy crowd. Being in a room prior to a Trump speech is like no other experience that comes to mind, though that sentiment is not shared by the left media who wrote negative reviews of CPAC. President Trump continued to call out the liberal media for being an arm of the Democrat Party, cited the big problems we face as a country and how he will address those if re-elected. His speech was quite humorous at times and then sobering as he brought the crowd back to the realities of what is at stake with this election.
If you have not seen the backstage encounter of President Javier Milei (Argentina) meeting President Trump, it is worth a look on the internet. President Milei spoke to the crowd after Trump left for his South Carolina primary victory party. The libertarian President said that he “was not there to herd sheep but to awaken lions.” He blamed Argentina’s decline on socialism which leads to corruption. Since taking office in December, Milei has slashed government spending and says he is putting Argentina on the road to growth and will “Make Argentina Great Again.”
The event ended with results of the straw poll which included an array of questions including who should President Trump pick for VP. The top picks were Kristi Noem and Vivek Ramaswamy tying for first place (15% each) followed by Tulsi Gabbard, Elise Stefanik and Tim Scott.
As we move forward in this election year, keep in mind the advice of President Bukele who stated that “the next US President must not only win an election but they must have the vision, will and courage to do whatever it takes to identify the dark forces that are already in our country and will conspire against them.” If you have time to listen to recorded CPAC speakers, you can find that content at www.cpac.org or YouTube.
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Laura Benson is a Member of the Republican Central Committee of Montgomery County, MCGOP Finance Chair and the District Leader of Legislative District 14.