From our correspondent
OXON (Maryland) – When Nikki Haley, Trump’s former ambassador to the United Nations and now president, stopped to take selfies with fans as she exited the Conservative Political Action Conference, activists surrounded her. We want Trump! We want Trump!”. They chased her to the elevator. The half-empty hall was silent as Haley – who proposed a mental competency test for over-75s like Biden and Trump – said, “America is not past its prime, its politicians have been.” Mike Pompeo, Trump’s former secretary of state and another potential challenger, was more careful not to appear disloyal during his speech and fled from a private exit after applause. The youngest candidate for the Republican nomination, 37-year-old entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Indian-American (like Haley) and author of the best-selling book Woke Inc., was similarly reticent at a party in his suite: “I would hire Trump as an adviser.” , he says (many picture him as future Secretary of Trump or DeSantis).
Even Bolsonaro and Farage
The annual CPAC, the Conservatives’ conference – less crowded than in previous years and whose organizer Matt Schlapp has been accused of sexual harassment – was a Trump love party: “It’s the TPAC, not the CPAC,” proclaimed a radio host. On stage, his family members, parliamentarians like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Ted Cruz and foreign allies like Jair Bolsonaro and Nigel Farage marched in front of the former president. But in private conversations, even some ardent Trump supporters reveal some uncertainty about the possibility of their leader retaking the White House. Some admit they would have liked to see Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis there, too, who preferred to go to Palm Beach for a Club for Growth fundraising rally that Trump wasn’t invited to. Jock Gearhart, Vietnam veteran (and Cpac: he saw Reagan in 1974), paid three thousand dollars for his passport. Over a gin and tonic, he explains that he fears a split among Republican voters. One scenario is that Trump is running as an independent. His solution would be for him to retire “as a patriot.” Others suggest DeSantis becomes vice president.
The Bannon Show
In an America feeling in decline, the right blames the abandonment of Western values by left-wing politicians (and corporations), but one side calls for a “national divorce” between “red” states and “blue” states, the other hopes a “national renaissance”. The big enemy is China: “God bless them if Ukrainians want to retake Crimea, but may Europe pay for it. We’re not a European power, we’re a Pacific power,’ shouts Bannon, who is doing his non-stop War Room program in the corridor. “Do you want to send your sons and daughters to fight for Zelenskyy?” “No,” replies the crowd.
brothers of Italy
Nicola Procaccini of the Brothers of Italy, who traveled with about forty European parliamentarians, tells us that there is harmony about the eradication of values rather than isolationism in foreign policy. But the US right is divided: The brothers of Italy met with conservative think tank Heritage Foundation outside of Cpac. “They welcomed us with the double flag, US and Ukrainian.”
The “Traitors”
Fox News’ “betrayal” is trouble. Right-wing television is not funding the event this year, others have contributed, such as the “New State of China” founded by Steve Bannon with billionaire Guo Wengui, who bloodily signed the declaration of intent against the Chinese Communist Party three years ago. More than Biden, Bannon attacked the Murdochs in his speech, accusing the network of declaring the ex-president “illegitimate” defeated in 2020 and not giving him more space. Smaller right-wing networks like Newsmax and Real America’s Voice don’t have Fox’s clout. ‘The Murdochs must follow him. We need to hear Trump’s voice.”