Trump, Musk take victory lap at CPAC: 5 takeaways
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.—President Trump took a victory lap at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this week after his resounding general election victory in November.
The annual event featured an array of Trump’s most vocal supporters, including Vice President Vance, border czar Tom Homan and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
While the mood among speakers and attendees was celebratory, this year’s gathering appeared somewhat diminished in terms of its overall importance on the national level.
Here are five takeaways from CPAC 2025:
CPAC goes full MAGA
Prior to Trump’s foray into politics, CPAC was seen as a big tent gathering for conservatives of all stripes. The annual event was an opportunity for various kinds of conservatives and Republicans to tout their visions in front of the grassroots.
Additionally, the gathering was an opportunity for emerging Republican talent to introduce themselves to the grassroots.
But in the Trump era, he is the clear star of CPAC. There is virtually no room for criticism of the president among the staunchly pro-Trump crowd. Most speakers, American and foreign, made a point of heaping praise on the president and his conservative populist agenda.
Underscoring that fact was the CPAC straw poll, which showed Trump with a 99 percent approval rating among 1,022 attendees, with 95 percent saying they “strongly approved.”
Trump takes victory lap after chaotic first month
In addition to being a celebration of his election victory, CPAC was also a victory lap following Trump’s whirlwind first month in office.
Musk discussed the administration’s moves to slash the size and scope of the federal government at breakneck speed, while Vance noted his address at the Munich Security Conference last week that left European leaders seething at his criticism.
Various odes to Trump’s first month in office were on display throughout the conference, including bedazzled jackets on sale with “Gulf of America” written on the back of them. A number of speakers criticized The Associated Press for its policy choosing to refer to the body of water as the “Gulf of Mexico” in its stylebook.
The news that the outlet was suing the administration broke during CPAC on Friday. White House press secretary Karoline, who was named in the lawsuit as a defendant, said on stage she learned of the suit as she was en route to the gathering.
The straw poll found that 99 percent of attendees said they believed that Trump was doing an even better job during his second administration.
Vance cements his popularity with the base
Vance, seen by many as a future face of the MAGA movement, received a warm reception at this year’s CPAC.
The vice president was the overwhelming favorite to be Trump’s successor in 2028, receiving 61 percent support in the CPAC straw poll.
Vance was also the first speaker of this year’s conference, which was bookended with Trump’s speech on Saturday. The vice president took part in a friendly sit-down interview with CPAC senior fellow Mercedes Schlapp.
The vice president received praise from Schlapp and the audience for his address at last week’s Munich Security Conference in which he chastised European leaders over free speech.
The event comes less than a month after Trump in an interview with Fox News declined to name Vance as his automatic successor, saying it was “too early.” But Trump praised his vice president as “very capable.”
Musk comes close to stealing Trump’s thunder
While Trump was the biggest attraction of the gathering, attendees were elated to see Elon Musk speak on the first full day events. Musk made headlines when he brought a chainsaw, gifted to him from Argentinian President Javier Milei, on stage for an interview. The prop was meant to symbolize his efforts as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“This is a chainsaw for bureaucracy,” Musk screamed from the stage.
The image quickly made headlines and rapidly spread across social media, emerging as a meme for DOGE.
But if Musk came close to stealing Trump’s thunder, it did not appear to bother the president. Trump heaped praise on Musk on Saturday, referring to Musk’s official title as “patriot.”
“Elon is doing a great job,” Trump told the crowd. “We love Elon, don’t we? He’s a character.”
A diminished event
While an enthusiastic and rowdy crowd of supporters filled the ballroom as Trump spoke at National Harbor, the four-day-long gathering appeared to be more low-key than in past years.
Smaller-than-usual crowds gathered throughout the conference, including on media row. And overall, there appeared to be less media interest in the gathering.
The predictability of the pro-Trump gathering could be a reason for the diminished interest overall. And while there were big-name figures from the Trump administration in attendance, there seemed to be fewer big-name speakers from the conservative movement generally.
This atmosphere created the appearance of a more siloed, niche event.
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