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The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) opened Thursday with appearances from a number of key figures on the American right. What began in 1974 with a keynote address by Ronald Reagan has, in recent years, solidified its position as an important event for President Donald Trump and his allies and supporters.
Vice President J.D. Vance, fresh from a European tour that upended diplomatic expectations, took center stage in an opening interview that underscored the administration’s priorities. The 40-year-old former venture capitalist has proven himself an unusually effective advocate for the Trump administration, presenting its goals and objectives with a simplicity and directness befitting his roots and with a polished manner worthy of his Ivy League education. His remarks at the Munich Security Conference last week sent shockwaves through the foreign policy establishment, rattling European leaders while reinforcing the administration’s vision for a populist approach to foreign policy.
Vance expanded on that message Thursday, setting forth what he described as the administration’s core objectives. “The foundational goal of our policy is to make it so your kids and grandkids can raise a family in safety and prosperity in this country we all love,” he told the CPAC audience. To that end, he pledged a dramatic expansion of domestic energy production, deep cuts in government spending, and an aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration. In foreign policy, he reiterated themes from his Munich speech, warning that the future of U.S.-European relations would depend on a shared commitment to “free speech, sovereignty, and real borders.” His words were met with a standing ovation.
The conference also featured an unscheduled appearance by Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur that has become one of Trump’s strongest political allies. Now serving as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk has become a central figure in the administration’s effort to overhaul the federal bureaucracy. Brandishing a chainsaw awarded to him by the state-slashing president of Argentina, Javier Milei, Musk talked about his own journey into Republican politics.
“I just wanted to do useful things, provide products and services that are good,” Musk said, framing his political awakening as a reaction to what he sees as regulatory overreach by Democrats. He was particularly pointed in his criticism of European laws restricting online speech.
“They put people in prison for memes,” he said. “That’s insane.”
Musk argued that DOGE is essential to counter what he described as runaway government spending and creeping censorship. He accused federal agencies of using taxpayer funds to prop up media organizations, turning them into “government mouthpieces,” while warning that unchecked deficits threatened economic stability. “We need to restore what made America great—freedom and opportunity,” he declared.
The day’s events culminated in a speech by former White House strategist Steve Bannon, who rallied the crowd with exhortations to support Trump and defy the ruling class. Bannon praised Trump’s pardons of January 6 defendants, declared that Trump would soon definitively prove that the 2020 election was stolen, and called on the president to seek a third term. “The future of America is MAGA, and the future of MAGA is Donald J. Trump!” he thundered. “We want Trump in ’28!”
Trump himself fueled speculation that he may be interested in a third term during a separate appearance at a ceremony dedicated to unveiling statues honoring figures in African American history. “Should I run again?” he asked, prompting the crowd to erupt in chants of “four more years.”
The day’s events showcased the continuing vitality of the populist movement in the Republican party, which shows no signs of diminishing with Trump’s reelection, and appears to be, if anything, stronger in his second term than in his first. Trump is scheduled to appear personally at CPAC on Saturday to close out the conference, providing him a chance to both put the finishing touches on an event which has had many of the characteristics of a victory tour and to personally present his own vision for his second term as president.