Divided Conservatives Gather for CPAC  03/25 06:13

   

   GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) -- Conservatives are holding one of their largest 
annual gatherings at a perilous political moment for President Donald Trump and 
with open division on the right over the war he launched in Iran.

   While Trump maintains broad support among conservatives, the war in Iran is 
more than a wrinkle for activists drawn to his "America First" campaign pledge 
against getting involved in foreign conflicts. The debate will be a subtext -- 
and likely flare publicly -- as thousands of activists, influencers and 
Republican lawmakers gather at the Conservative Political Action Conference 
that begins Wednesday outside Dallas.

   The gathering will be a contrast to the celebratory meeting one year ago 
where Trump, newly returned to office, vowed to "forge a new and lasting 
political majority" and Elon Musk wielded a chainsaw to symbolize how the 
administration was slashing the government workforce and red tape.

   This year, neither Trump nor Vice President JD Vance has been publicly 
announced as speaking to the gathering. But among those who are slated to speak 
are big names in the MAGA movement who have voiced conflicting views on the 
Iran war.

   "This is obviously going to be a hot topic," said John Gizzi, a CPAC veteran 
and columnist for the conservative media outlet Newsmax, who noted the 
possibility of greater U.S. involvement over an uncertain length of time.

   Some featured speakers are divided over Iran, Israel

   Among the featured speakers scheduled at the four-day event is longtime 
Trump ally Steve Bannon. Bannon said during his War Room podcast this month 
that should the war become "a hard slog," it could cost the GOP conservative 
voters ahead of the midterms.

   "We are going to bleed support," Bannon said.

   Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who supports the war, also is on the agenda at the 
Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center.

   "I think President Trump was exactly right to act to protect Americans," 
Cruz said last week in a CBS News interview.

   Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz's scheduled speaking slot is a reminder of 
the disagreement among some conservatives about the U.S. military alliance with 
Israel against Iran.

   Gaetz, host of a show on the conservative One America News Network, has said 
the U.S. has been too cozy with Israel as popular conservative personalities 
such as Tucker Carlson have challenged conservatives' longtime bond with the 
country, prompting criticism from GOP groups, including pro-Israel Republicans, 
of antisemitism.

   Others scheduled to speak include Trump border czar Tom Homan and former 
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, who is running for the 
U.S. Senate in North Carolina.

   Trump's standing is strong among base

   A year after Trump presided over the group's jubilant conference upon his 
return to office, he is in a much different place.

   At war while worries about jobs and household costs linger, his approval is 
down. His signature domestic policy, aimed at tightening voting rules ahead of 
November's midterm elections, has stalled in a Congress his party controls, 
while the House Republican majority is in jeopardy and the party's hold on the 
Senate is less certain than a year ago.

   Despite the dividing lines, Trump enjoys enduring approval from his party's 
right flank. Eighty-six percent of conservatives said they approved of the 
president's job performance in a February AP-NORC poll.

   And while Trump's supporters remain devoted, some within the most 
conservative circles say division over Iran could signal trouble for 
Republicans in November.

   Texas Rep. Steve Toth, who plans to attend CPAC, suggested Trump's support 
remains robust among conservatives, but that Republican messaging on the war 
could be stronger.

   "From MAGA people, for the most part, I don't hear frustration with the 
president," said Toth, who beat incumbent Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw in 
Texas' March 3 primary. "I don't know that we're doing a great job at 
communicating the full ramifications."

   Texas' GOP Senate primary is a lingering issue

   Another stark reminder of the contrast with last year is Texas's unresolved 
Senate primary, a particular political headache for Trump.

   Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton, who is challenging four-term GOP Sen. John 
Cornyn, not only is attending the event, but has one of the event's premier 
speaking roles, the Ronald Reagan Dinner on Friday evening. Cornyn is not 
attending the Texas conference.

   Trump said three weeks ago he would soon endorse one of them after Paxton 
finished narrowly behind Cornyn in the March 3 primary, though neither received 
a majority to avoid a May 26 runoff.

   Trump implored whoever didn't get the endorsement to drop out, writing in a 
social media post that the bitter contest "cannot, for the good of the Party, 
and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer."

   The deadline for candidates to remove their names from the May 26 runoff 
ballot passed last week, as Paxton and Cornyn were launching stepped-up attack 
ads targeting one another.