Just a year after Donald Trump skipped the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) amid questions about his conservative credentials, the now-president returned to the event for a hero's welcome. The conservative movement, long focused on fiscal discipline and reigning in government overreach, was remade in his image.
At the annual gathering for conservative activists, organizers, and Republican party figures, red and white "Make America Great Again" hats were almost as prolific as the traditional GOP elephant. Breakout sessions took on a decidedly Trumpian tone and flavor—attendees could sit in on "Fake News and the Lame Stream Media" on Thursday, "Revolt of the Deplorables: Inside Election 2016" on Friday, and "If Heaven Has a Gate, A Wall, and Extreme Vetting, Why Can't America?" on Saturday.
The list of speakers, typically a who's who of Republican establishment figures and conservative stars, featured just three 2016 GOP presidential contenders outside of the Trump Administration.
As White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway put it on Thursday, "This will be TPAC when he's here, no doubt."
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