STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Dallas, Texas, is hosting this week's Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC. In recent years, it's been more like TPAC (ph), a fan club for President Trump.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The organization has promoted Trumpist (ph) ideas and right-wing thought in the U.S. and around the world.
INSKEEP: So what's happening this year? NPR political reporter Elena Moore has been on the scene. Elena, good morning.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Good morning, Steve.
INSKEEP: Glad you're in Dallas. Love it there. What's it like to be at the conference, though?
MOORE: Well, like many conservative conferences, supporters are walking around sporting different MAGA merch. You know, I saw the red hats, saw some sequin jackets and lots of fan art and signs.
INSKEEP: Sequin jackets. OK. Go on.
MOORE: Yeah. But, frankly, you know, what's stood out is who's not here. President Trump is typically the main attraction, but this year, he's skipping CPAC. And when he spoke at the event last year, he was newly sworn in and had this pledge about his second term.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: It's my hope that my greatest legacy will be as a peacemaker, not a conqueror. I don't want to be a conqueror.
(APPLAUSE)
MOORE: So this year, the conversation feels pretty different. We're now nearly a month since the U.S. began strikes against Iran, and it's been dividing Trump's historically loyal base.
INSKEEP: Yeah. There are some - not all, but some - major figures in that base, people who've spoken at CPAC in the past who've turned against the war. So how's it sitting with people who are attending?
MOORE: Yeah. Well, this is not a crowd of swing voters. We should say that. Most attendees are die-hard supporters of the president. Jeff Hadley (ph) is one of them. He drove down from Raleigh, North Carolina, to be here. He told me that Iran has been a threat for decades, and he argues only Trump had the guts to address it. Take a listen.
JEFF HADLEY: He's the one that's going to do it. And I think a lot of people feel more confident in him doing it than a lifelong politician that wants to follow the rules of their party.
MOORE: And, Steve, that's pretty consistent with GOP voters elsewhere right now. A new Pew Research Center poll finds that nearly 8 in 10 Republicans approve of Trump's handling of the war. But in that same poll, if you look at parts of the coalition that helped Trump win in 2024, like young voters and independents, there is less support for this war.
INSKEEP: If Trump said he was a peacemaker the last time he showed up at CPAC, what are people who are attending this year thinking?
MOORE: Yeah. I mean, there is a spectrum. Obviously, there are outspoken critics inside the party. I'm thinking of people like Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly.
INSKEEP: Yep.
MOORE: But here at CPAC, even for those with reservations, there's a willingness to give Trump some time. Andrew Belcher feels that way. He's a student at Miami University in Ohio, and he told me he believes Trump is more prepared than past presidents to handle this moment, but...
ANDREW BELCHER: I think he understands the political risk of if this were to fail, this is the nail in the coffin for the rest of his presidency and will be his reputation for the rest of time. I think the American people do not want another failed and long-term regime-change war.
INSKEEP: Does this meeting give you any insight as to future leaders, post-Trump leaders of the party?
MOORE: I mean, talking to supporters, they mention some of the same big names we frequently cover when we think about rising stars in this party - Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. But, Steve, I think CPAC is, frankly, a reminder that Trump is, in many ways, what is holding this GOP together. And when he's not there, it's unclear who fills that role.
INSKEEP: NPR political reporter Elena Moore is there among the sequin jackets. Elena, thanks so much.
MOORE: (Laughter) Thanks, Steve. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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