“We’ve got a good start,” VP Vance tells CPAC conservatives

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Vice President J.D. Vance opened the annual Conservative Political Action Conference with a reel of highlights from the first 30 days of the new administration. Vance underlined President Trump’s actions to designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, to slash funding for USAID, and to negotiate for the release of Israeli hostages. “The president keeps us on a pretty breakneck pace,” Vance said. “He realizes the American people gave us a window to save the country, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
At CPAC, Vance also addressed the culture wars overseas. Stemming illegal immigration across U.S. and European borders will restore shared values between the two continents, he said. At another recent speech at the Munich Security Conference, the vice president criticized U.S. allies for censoring free speech and allowing mass illegal migration.
What else did he say? Vance, a Catholic, said that his faith motivates the administration’s policy stances. Pro-life advocates need to work on persuading their fellow Americans to save unborn life, he said. Meanwhile, the administration will work on boosting the economy and making it more affordable to start families, Vance promised. He tied the economic goal back to closing the southern border of the United States and reducing costs by using the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency to shut down federal agencies.
What is CPAC? Since 1974, the conference has gathered conservative political figures and activists. It often helps form key GOP agenda points for the rest of the year. For three days, attendees at the Gaylord National Resort Convention Center near Washington will hear from administration officials, lawmakers, and foreign dignitaries who support President Trump’s agenda. CPAC also runs a yearly presidential nomination straw poll. Trump has won every straw poll since 2019, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis coming in second place for five out of seven years. In a recent interview, Trump said he does not see Vance as his successor, but the straw poll could indicate the vice president’s chances for a 2028 run.
Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s story on how DOGE’s federal cuts are affecting political strategy on Capitol Hill.

An actual newsletter worth subscribing to instead of just a collection of links. —Adam
Sign up to receive The Sift email newsletter each weekday morning for the latest headlines from WORLD’s breaking news team.
Please wait while we load the latest comments...
Comments
Please register, subscribe, or log in to comment on this article.