{"id":2583666,"date":"2026-03-25T12:12:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T16:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cpacs-opportunity-to-reestablish-itself-as-go-to-conservative-conference\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T12:14:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T16:14:55","slug":"cpacs-opportunity-to-reestablish-itself-as-go-to-conservative-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cpacs-opportunity-to-reestablish-itself-as-go-to-conservative-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"CPAC&#8217;s opportunity to reestablish itself as go-to conservative conference"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcpacs-opportunity-to-reestablish-itself-as-go-to-conservative-conference%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2583666&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Conservatives are recalibrating CPAC\u2019s role as the go-to conservative conference as the event moves from Washington, D.C., to Dallas, Texas, in search of renewed energy and influence.The coverage notes debates about Iran, midterm dynamics, and the future of Trumpism without donald Trump at the center, alongside questions about whether CPAC can <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >reclaim leadership amid competition<\/a> from Turning Point USA, which has become a powerful force among younger conservatives. CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp frames this year\u2019s theme as \u201cactions over words\u201d and emphasizes grassroots achievements, while acknowledging shifts in the movement\u2019s dynamics and the uneasy balance between old-guard conservatives and newer, younger voices. The article also highlights leadership questions within the conservative movement, including the rise of TPUSA and the implied challenges to CPAC\u2019s dominance, as well as remarks about whether Trump will attend given <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-has-completed-bombing-of-iranian-nuclear-sites-trump-says\/\" title=\"US has \u2018completed\u2019 bombing of ...ian nuclear sites, ... says\">ongoing international concerns<\/a>. In a separate thread, the piece notes Mullin\u2019s swearing-in as Homeland Security Secretary, marked by the Maxwell Leadership Bible and its leadership-focused notes. the edition\u2019s \u201cLunchtime Reading\u201d section adds speedy takes on Virginia redistricting and the concept of gaslighting, illustrating how power, perception, and political narratives intersect in Washington.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Why CPAC has a golden opportunity to reestablish itself as the &lsquo;go-to conservative conference&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2016066\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong><em>Welcome to Wednesday&rsquo;s edition of <\/em>Washington Secrets<em>. Join us as we bring coverage from CPAC in Dallas for the rest of the week. Today, we look at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/saying-one-obviously-true-thing-doesnt-make-you-a-conservative-hero\/\" title=\"Saying One Obviously True Thing Doesn\u2019t Make You A ... Hero\">broader conservative movement<\/a> and whether CPAC can regain its lost influence and energy and ask Matt Schlapp why he has moved the event to Texas. Plus, just what was the book that Markwayne Mullin used at his swearing-in ceremony &hellip;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Conservatives converge on Texas this week with awkward questions about Iran, midterm elections, and the future of Trumpism without Donald Trump looming over them.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4501292\/cpac-calls-john-cornyn-bluff-speaking-slot\/\">CPAC tests Cornyn with offer of speaking slot<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4500151\/polymarket-situation-room-news-online-generation-scam\/\">Polymarket&#8217;s &#8216;Situation Room&#8217;: News for the online generation or an infotainment scam?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4498589\/white-house-report-card-americans-ashamed-trump-war\/\">White House Report Card: New poll finds almost half of Americans are &#8216;ashamed&#8217; of Trump as Iran war worries grow<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Threaded through all of that is another question: Is the annual <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cpac\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cpac\/\">Conservative Political Action Conference<\/a> still the premier gathering of the Republican movement?<\/p>\n<p>Josh Hammer, a political commentator who is speaking at the conference, said Turning Point USA had become the &ldquo;hot new game in town,&rdquo; putting CPAC in a tough spot.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Well, now all of a sudden, Charlie [Kirk] has been tragically assassinated,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Turning Point finds itself in something of a leadership crisis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So it&rsquo;s a very interesting opportunity for CPAC to kind of try to reemerge as the go-to conservative conference.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>CPAC was long hailed as an influential meet-up that could launch careers and set agendas. Trump has appeared almost every year since 2011.<\/p>\n<p>Its success spawned international versions in Brazil, Argentina, Hungary, and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>But attendees of the past two CPACs, which were held just outside Washington, said the event had a quieter vibe. The exhibitor hall, often one of the most vibrant parts of the conference, with Trump merchandise, food stands, and major corporate sponsors, had empty space.<\/p>\n<p>Old-fashioned conservatives, once the key constituent of the conference, also feel abandoned as it leaned hard into Trump and MAGA causes.<\/p>\n<p>Against that backdrop, Kirk&rsquo;s youth movement had gone from strength to strength.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What started as a hundred kids &mdash; look around, everybody &mdash; is now the largest event in the conservative movement,&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/tpusa.com\/live\/why-turning-point-usas-amfest-is-integral-to-the-conservative-movement\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/tpusa.com\/live\/why-turning-point-usas-amfest-is-integral-to-the-conservative-movement\/\">Kirk said at its AmFest event<\/a> in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>After Trump&rsquo;s 2024 election victory, Kirk was a fixture at Mar-a-Lago, interviewing personnel and helping build the new administration.<\/p>\n<p>He was a frequent visitor to the White House before his killing in September 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Raheem Kassam, editor-in-chief of the <em>National Pulse<\/em>, said CPAC had once straddled all the wings of the Republican movement &mdash; conservative, Libertarian, neocons, &ldquo;everyone thrashing it out.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It showcased the big tent of the political Right,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When Turning Point came along, stressing much more youth activity, they sort of ate CPAC&rsquo;s lunch, because, you know, the energy at CPAC was not coming from the over-40 crowd.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, conservatives will arrive just outside Dallas for their annual get-together. Speakers include speakers including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), YouTube journalist Nick Shirley, and Steve Bannon, the former Trump adviser.<\/p>\n<p>Chairman Matt Schlapp said the theme this year was &ldquo;actions over words&rdquo;. The conference, he said, would focus less on congressional leaders and splits between high-profile influencers and more on grassroots success that can be replicated across the nation.<\/p>\n<p>He said he remembered Kirk speaking at CPAC more than a decade ago, surrounded by dozens of children dressed in red T-shirts.<\/p>\n<p>And he dismissed the idea that one group had prospered at the expense of the other.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;CPAC&rsquo;s done nothing but increase,&rdquo; he said, at the same time that Turning Point had become the leading organization for young people.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The problem in America is not too many conservative groups getting big. It&rsquo;s that we don&rsquo;t have enough.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He added that when he visited a Turning Point event, an attendee told him it was going to grow bigger than CPAC.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I told him, &lsquo;I hope so,&#8217;&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Then I can retire.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But it is not just CPAC that has been struggling, according to Matt K. Lewis, conservative writer and podcaster. He said Trump had effectively destroyed the conservative movement.<\/p>\n<p>Gone were the days when politicians would have to check with Concerned Women for America, the Club for Growth, or the Family Research Council before hitting send on a release.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe Kirk&rsquo;s death does leave a void, but it won&rsquo;t be CPAC filling it, he added.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s like saying Facebook isn&rsquo;t the behemoth they were, you know, and someone at MySpace says, &lsquo;Hey, we&rsquo;re back, baby,&#8217;&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-schlapp-on-washington-dallas-and-trump\">Schlapp on Washington, Dallas, and Trump<\/h2>\n<p>As well as discussing Turning Point and Kirk, Schlapp answered questions on a range of other questions, including why CPAC had left its usual home near Washington and whether Trump was likely to attend. Here are his answers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>So why Dallas? Why hold it in Dallas this time?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Quite frankly, it&rsquo;s impossible to do business in a big, blue city. You just can&rsquo;t do it anymore. They don&rsquo;t want us. You know, the stuff I have to deal with behind the scenes that I haven&rsquo;t talked about is outrageous.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What sort of thing?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How about like, just constantly stopping traffic flow into the hotel for you know &hellip; you name the reason. I don&rsquo;t blame local law enforcement for that, but I blame the politicized governments of Maryland, D.C., and now Virginia. So, you know, think about it. Our nation&rsquo;s capital is now just completely captive to very leftist governments. And it&rsquo;s, it spells real doom for the city and the nation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is Donald Trump going to attend? (Reports since the interview suggest he will not)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I hope so, but you never really know until the end. I&rsquo;ve been talking with him. I think this year&rsquo;s a bit unique because of what&rsquo;s going on in Iran, right? And I respect the fact that he needs to stay close as things develop, but I&rsquo;m hopeful that he&rsquo;ll come.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-markwayne-mullin-s-lessons-in-leadership\">Markwayne Mullin&rsquo;s lessons in leadership<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attorney General Pam Bondi administers the oath during the swearing-in for Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Washington.  (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Did anyone else notice anything odd about the book used by Markwayne Mullin when he was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4501881\/trump-swears-in-mullin-as-new-homeland-security-secretary\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4501881\/trump-swears-in-mullin-as-new-homeland-security-secretary\/\">sworn in as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/psaki-biden-to-unveil-immigration-agenda-next-tuesday\/\" title=\"Psaki: Biden to unveil immigration agenda next Tuesday\">homeland security secretary<\/a> yesterday<\/a>? It was a leadership bible as much as an actual Bible.<\/p>\n<p>Look closely. The title is: <em>The Maxwell Leadership Bible<\/em>. In its pages, leadership guru John C. Maxwell teases out his 21 laws of leadership and profiles of leadership drawn from the text of the Bible.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, it doesn&rsquo;t matter what book is used &mdash; Bible, Torah, Quran, anything. In fact, you don&rsquo;t need a book at all for the ceremonial swearing-in. It&rsquo;s only really there to make the photos look nice.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lunchtime-reading\">Lunchtime reading<\/h2>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2026\/03\/25\/spanberger-redistricting-virginia-midterms\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2026\/03\/25\/spanberger-redistricting-virginia-midterms\/\"><strong>Partisan brawl in Virginia muddles Spanberger&rsquo;s message of moderation<\/strong><\/a>: When Abigail Spanberger was elected governor of Virginia, she was hailed as a model for Democrats to win across the country. But now she is locked in a partisan brawl over redistricting.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/03\/25\/nx-s1-5728191\/gaslighting-origin-history-word\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/03\/25\/nx-s1-5728191\/gaslighting-origin-history-word\"><strong>Are you sure you know what &lsquo;gaslighting&rsquo; is?<\/strong><\/a>  &ldquo;The verb was inspired by Patrick Hamilton&rsquo;s 1930s play<em>&nbsp;Gas Light<\/em>, but the better-known reference is George Cukor&rsquo;s popular 1944 film adaptation starring Ingrid Bergman.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>You are reading&nbsp;<\/em>Washington Secrets<em>, a guide to power and politics in D.C. and beyond. It is written by Rob Crilly, who you can reach at secrets @ washington examiner DOTCOM with your comments, story tips, and suggestions.<\/em>&nbsp;<em>If a friend sent you this and you&rsquo;d like to sign up,&nbsp;<\/em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/click1.trk-washingtonexaminer.com\/xprvgynrhhctscghtpnrptnqlrtypjmjlkrlcnpvhgpdcr_jtjrvfbrrsmwbqmnsbmvsv.html?a=Washington+Secrets+Lara+Trump&amp;b=01%2F21%2F2026&amp;c=WEX_Washington+Secrets&amp;d=25812206&amp;e=da31c45955c9411a6c40ecd0e967fa8def1f0fc08362faaa0dee09386ff5c41b\"><em>click here<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CPAC looks to reclaim status as top conservative event<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4136,"featured_media":2583667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP25053783228488.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[7428,4539,19858,76515,76514],"class_list":["post-2583666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-analysis","tag-conservatives","tag-cpac","tag-go-to-conference","tag-political-conference-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP25053783228488.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2583666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2583666"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2583666\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2583670,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2583666\/revisions\/2583670"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2583667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2583666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2583666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2583666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}