At CPAC, the ‘America First’ Crowd Ponders Giving War a Chance

At the Conservative Political Action Conference, organizers are attempting to reframe the event's traditional "America First" messaging to accommodate President Trump's military operations in Iran, with attendees showing divided support for the shift. CPAC has long been a hub for non-interventionist conservatives skeptical of foreign military involvement, but the conference's direction now reflects Trump's more hawkish posture on Iran policy. The tension exposes a fault line within the conservative movement between Trump's nationalist base and those who view military escalation abroad as incompatible with America First principles. The rebranding effort signals how thoroughly Trump has reshaped Republican foreign policy priorities since taking office, even as it risks alienating some of his core constituency on issues of military restraint.