(AFP) – Newly-energized American conservative leaders and activists will gather on the outskirts of the capital Washington on Thursday for an annual three-day conference set to celebrate US President Donald Trump’s return to power. With international allies like Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Britain’s Nigel Farage in attendance, Vice President JD Vance will kick off the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in an address expected to highlight the bombastic return of Trump to the White House one month ago.
The Republican president has issued a blizzard of executive orders in the short weeks since his inauguration, targeting a slew of right-wing priorities such as tightening immigration restrictions and ending programs meant to combat racism and inequality in the workplace. His partisan base is applauding the widespread moves. “We conservatives have never been more enthusiastic about the future,” Kevin Roberts, president of the American think tank The Heritage Foundation, which is close to Trump, told reporters Tuesday.
CPAC has been held every year for decades, but in recent iterations, it has become ever more focused on celebrating Trump. This year, along with Vance, numerous officials from his administration and allies in Congress are expected to attend, including White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Trump himself is set to address the conference on Saturday. He gave a somber speech at the event in 2024, when he was still running for president, describing the United States as a “nightmare” under his predecessor Joe Biden.
The sense of triumph enjoyed by the American right over Democrats and the political left is mirrored in the branding of events at the conference. They include meetings and roundtables with titles such as “Nowhere to Run: The Takedown of Left Tech,” “BlackRock Life’s Matter: Crushing Woke Board Rooms,” and “Culture Warriors: Take Your Truce and Shove It.”
Several right-wing and far-right leaders from around the world are also scheduled to speak at the convention, including Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. European conservative party leaders such as France’s Jordan Bardella, Britain’s Farage, and former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will also be taking part. Many are seeking inspiration from across the Atlantic, following Trump’s successful comeback.
“Make Great Britain Great Again,” wrote former British Prime Minister Liz Truss on X on Tuesday, riffing on Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. She is due to give a speech on the convention’s main stage on Thursday morning.
– Robin LEGRAND
© 2024 AFP
