Speeches at CPAC (2020s): on Principles & Values
Allen West:
If you're a conservative in America, you are free
[At CPAC]: "You saw earlier where Joe Biden said, 'If you don't vote for me, you're not Black,'" West said. "A week ago we heard Maxine Waters and Representative Cori Bush talk about how Blacks are not free in America. Well, let me tell you something:
If you're a conservative in America--Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, it doesn't matter--you are free. It's all about the constitutional principals and values that we believe in. That we honor. That we love."
West, who is Black, continued, "I look out at this audience, there's quite a few white folks out there. But you know something, I don't feel one bit oppressed. I don't feel like a victim because as an American, as a Texan, I'm a victor and not a victim.
And as an American and a Texan, we are all victors, we are not victims. If we're going to make sure that America is not canceled, we have to step foot on this ideological battlefield in which we find ourselves."
Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram on 2021 CPAC Conference
Jul 11, 2021
Caitlyn Jenner:
Ignored being "deadnamed" publicly at CPAC Convention
Caitlyn Jenner was harassed and hit with transphobic abuse while attending the Conservative Political Action Conference. A heckler filmed himself approaching the former reality TV star, repeatedly deadnaming her and calling her a "sick freak."
Calling a transgender person by their birth name is known as deadnaming, and it can be a stressful and triggering experience.
"Hey, Bruce. Bruce, what do you think about the stuff that they're teaching in schools regarding the LGBTQ?", the heckler shouts at her. As Jenner walks away, he pursues her and says, "About Jesus Christ, Bruce.
Don't forget about Jesus." Jenner continues to ignore the attacker, and as she exits the hotel and heads towards a waiting car, the heckler says "look at that sick freak."
Source: Business Insider on 2021 CPAC Conference
Jul 11, 2021
Dan Bongino:
You're not vanquished until you consider yourself defeated
You're not vanquished until you consider yourself defeated. I don't care if we lose every single seat in the House and Senate. If we are, 0 and 535, if we don't have a single person on the Supreme Court and lose every election nationally, if one of
you in this room does not consider themselves vanquished. You are not. You're not. The time for feeling sorry for ourselves is done. And I'll tell you why, we are right. We are on the right side of this. Believe it. Be proud of it.
Source: Remarks at the 2021 CPAC Conference
Feb 27, 2021
Donald Trump:
America is the greatest nation to ever exist
We have revitalized the values, traditions, and principles that have always defined American greatness. Citizens of every age, race, color and creed are joining us in the fight to save this glorious nation. Every day, our movement grows bigger, bolder
and broader, and America's future gets brighter. Our movement is united by a towering spirit of patriotism, and a deep reverence for the rights and liberties given to each of us by the hand of Almighty God. We know that America is the greatest nation to
ever exist. We know that America is the strongest force for good in the history of the world.But American forces cannot be the policemen for the entire world. We're all over the world. And a lot of times, we're not even appreciated.
We can't be the policemen for the world and the democracy builders. We just can't do that for every nation that seems to have difficulty, especially for those nations that don't appreciate what we do--and there are many of them.
Source: Remarks by President Trump at the 2020 CPAC Conference
Feb 29, 2020
Donald Trump:
Desperate far-left radicals demand absolute conformity
Far-left radicals have become increasingly desperate and dangerous in their quest to transform America into a country you would not recognize, a country in which they control every aspect of American life. Just as socialist and communist movements have
done all over the world, they're cracking down on all dissent and demanding absolute conformity. They want to massively raise your taxes, bury you in regulations, take over healthcare, indoctrinate our children from kindergarten to college.
Source: Remarks by President Trump at the 2020 CPAC Conference
Feb 29, 2020
Donald Trump:
Our very identity as Americans is at stake
We're in the middle of a historic struggle for America's future, America's culture, and America's institutions, borders, and most cherished principles. Our security, our prosperity, and our very identity as Americans is at stake, like perhaps at no
other time. So no matter how much the Washington establishment and the powerful, special interests may want to silence us, let there be no doubt. We will be victorious. And America will be stronger and greater than ever before.
We're not starting new parties. They kept saying, he's going to start a brand new party. We have the Republican party. It's going to unite and be stronger than ever before. I am not starting a new party.
That was fake news, fake news. No. Wouldn't that be brilliant? Let's start a new party and let's divide our vote so that you can never win. No, we're not interested in that.
Source: Remarks by Pres. Trump at the 2021 CPAC Conference
Feb 28, 2021
Donald Trump:
No other president had audience chant they love him
Audience: We love you. We love you. We love you.Donald Trump: Thank you very much, so nice. I asked somebody, because we really liked Ronald Reagan. He was a great President. I said, "Did anybody ever say that to Ronald Reagan or to any of our
great." and to the best of all of these political professionals' knowledge and pollsters', nobody's ever heard that chant before. So it's an honor. It's a great honor.
Source: Remarks by Pres. Trump at the 2021 CPAC Conference
Feb 28, 2021
Donald Trump:
FactCheck: Claims GOP is growing as 30,000+ left
Trump said at the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference, shortly after the January 6 Capitol insurrection, "The Republican party defends the interests of working American families. That's why the party is growing so rapidly." FactCheck by The
Hill: More than 30,000 voters who had been registered members of the Republican Party have changed their voter registration in the weeks after pro-Trump supporters attacked the Capitol. The massive wave of defections is a virtually unprecedented exodus.
Source: Reuters/OnTheIssues FactCheck on 2021 CPAC Conference
Feb 28, 2021
Donald Trump:
We will make America great again; it's very simple
With the help of everyone here today, we will defeat the radical left, the socialists, Marxists, and the critical race theorists. Whoever thought would be even using that term. We will secure our borders. We will stop left wing cancel culture. We will
restore free speech and fair elections, and we will make America great again. It's very simple. Very simple.[Regarding Attorney General William Barr], I always liked him. But I said, "Bill, you got to move your ass. Our country is under attack."
But he became a different man when the Democrats viciously stated that they wanted to impeach him. They went wild. "We want to impeach him. We're going to impeach Bill Barr.
We're going to impeach him." He became different. I understand that. I didn't become different. I got impeached twice. I didn't change. I became worse.
Source: Speech transcript from 2021 CPAC Conference
Jul 11, 2021
Jodey Arrington:
Leftist ideology has permeated federal government
Rep. Jodey Arrington, said Biden showed America his true, liberal beliefs when he appointed Kamala Harris as Vice President. "She was the one as Senator who was saying ICE enforcement agents are akin to the KKK.
That leftist ideology has permeated through your federal government and mine. That fourth branch of government is very activated. It's real. It starts at the top."
Source: The Post-Millennial blog on 2021 CPAC Conference
Jul 10, 2021
Josh Hawley:
America is the greatest nation in the history of the world
I just want to say to those people who say to us, "Oh, you're the past. Your moment has passed. It's over. It's Joe Biden's America now." I just want to say, "We're not the past, we're the future." We represent the future of this country. We represent
the next generation of the country. We represent what's coming next, and there is no way that we're going to back down. We're not going to back down to the woke mob. We're not going to back down to the cancel culture.We heard endlessly from corporate
media, from big tech, from the left, how terrible our country is. We heard that we are systemically racist. We heard that the real founding of the country wasn't in 1776, it was in 1619, or whatever. And now we heard that America is founded in lies
and evil. I mean, that's what we've been told. All of that is false. All of that is a lie. America is not a perfect place, but it's a good place. More than that, it's a great place. It's the greatest nation in the history of the world.
Source: Remarks by Senator Hawley at the 2021 CPAC Conference
Feb 26, 2021
Kristi Noem:
We're exceptional; no American should apologize for that
Our founders had their thoughts, certainly, but to use their thoughts and condemn their ideals is both unjust and self-deceiving. How many of us can live up to our own ideals? If not for the words, beliefs, and sacrifices of
those few, the world would not have a ringing example of true freedom. Freedom is better than tyranny. We are unique, are exceptional, and no American should ever apologize for that.
Source: Remarks by Gov. Noem at the 2021 CPAC Conference
Feb 27, 2021
Kristi Noem:
Better off than 95% of the world because you're in America
I need you to wake up happy. You woke up this morning in the United States of America. You are better off than 95% of the people in this world just because you woke up in this country.
Be optimistic. Don't watch the news. It sucks. It really does. It's horrible. Be happy. People will be drawn to you by your optimism because we, as conservatives, are the only ones who really know what hope is.
Source: Speech transcript from 2021 CPAC Conference
Jul 11, 2021
Kristi Noem:
America is the greatest country in human history
What do we want to save and keep for our kids and grandkids? We are saving and keeping the greatest country in human history. Our Founders built something the world had never seen before. They took the best of Western Civilization from Jerusalem to
Athens to Rome to London. They brought together Faith, Reason, Law, and Representative Government. And in Philadelphia in 1787 they put all of that together to craft the Constitution of the United States of America.
Source: Speech at the 2022 CPAC Conference in Orlando FL
Feb 25, 2022
Madison Cawthorne:
Strong governments that fix problems can take your liberty
Our government is trying to purchase votes in their scramble to have nothing but complete power. They are promising free things, to forgive student loans. The problem I have with this, it is intellectually dishonest, they think
Americans are too na‹ve to note that in the end we are the ones who have to foot the bill. When you have a government strong enough to fix your problems and heal all of your woes, you have a government strong enough to take away all of your liberty.
Source: Remarks by Rep. Cawthorne at the 2021 CPAC Conference
Feb 26, 2021
Marco Rubio:
The greatest nation on earth, not an inherently evil one
This is the greatest nation on earth, not an inherently evil one. That's why I believe for all the negatives we've heard the pendulum is swinging. The pendulum is swinging and I believe we are on the precipice, on the verge of a reinvigoration of the
American spirit that will not just strengthen America. It will leave us freer and more prosperous than we've ever been.
Source: Speech at the 2022 CPAC Conference in Orlando FL
Feb 25, 2022
Marsha Blackburn:
This country is the greatest place on the planet
I want them to learn that this country is the greatest place on the planet, that this is the country where dreams come true. This is where they can dream those big dreams, and it happens because the people decide,
they are going to fight back. And they're going to preserve faith, family, freedom, hope and opportunity for all our citizens and all generations.
Source: Speech at the 2022 CPAC Conference in Orlando FL
Feb 24, 2022
Mike Lee:
Government not a noble aspiration; just coercive force
Government is not some noble aspiration. It's nothing more, nothing less than the official collective force. It's just coercive force. So faith in government means tyranny. You can't have faith in government without promoting tyranny and faith in
people means freedom. That you see is the absolute key to our founding and to our Bill of Rights and it also happens to be precisely what the left is trying to undo.
Source: Remarks by Senator Lee at the 2021 CPAC Conference
Feb 26, 2021
Mike Pence:
Socialism has failed everywhere it has been tried
We've got to tell the truth about socialism and the benefits of freedom. When many in this rising generation speak of socialism, they think of better health care, education or a cleaner environment.
But the reality of socialism is very different. Socialism has failed everywhere it has been tried, in every era, on every continent, and among every class of people.
Freedom works. Socialism does not. Keep faith finally that when we hold the banner of freedom high, when we make freedom our cause,
we make his work on this earth our own for the spirit of the Lord is freedom. That means freedom always wins.
Source: Remarks by V.P. Pence at the 2020 CPAC Conference
Feb 27, 2020
Mike Pompeo:
God blessed US to stand for religious freedom
Can anyone in this room remember a better time to be an American conservative? President Trump will never stop winning. That's what a lot of folks have been working on for a long time. Some people look at the killing of Christians in the Middle East
or Uighurs or other believers and say look, that's not our problem. But I would say--President Trump would say--yes, it's God that blessed this country as the standard bearer for religious freedom. Nations that respect this right are freer, more
prosperous, more secure, more stable. President Trump has made this incredibly central to what it is we're trying to achieve.
America under President Trump means business. They know that America is a force for good. It does not mean we get it right
every day but I can assure you wherever I go, working for President Trump, people tug on my sleeves, they want to meet me, they want to meet me not because I'm Mike from Kansas, but because I represent the greatest nation in the history of civilization.
Source: Remarks by the Secretary of State at 2020 CPAC Conference
Feb 28, 2020
Mo Brooks:
We can surrender or we can fight back against socialists
Brooks urged conservatives [at CPAC] to "fight for America" like the colonial soldiers who endured a freezing winter at Valley Forge during the American Revolution. "That's the kind of sacrifice we have to think about," he said. "Our choice is
simple: we can surrender or we can fight back," Brooks said of the situation facing conservatives now. He has "never felt such fear for the future of our country," Brooks said, because "dictatorial socialists want to cancel America."
Source: The Birmingham News on 2021 CPAC Conference
Jul 11, 2021
Ron DeSantis:
Wokism is a form of cultural Marxism
Wokism is a form of cultural Marxism. It is not just about raising taxes or bad economic policy, it is about tearing at the fabric of our society and trying to replace it with something that will be much, much more sinister.
A lot of major institutions in our country have become infected with this woke virus. Look at academia. Do we even need to discuss that? Their main objective is to impose an ideological world view.
Source: Speech at the 2022 CPAC Conference in Orlando FL
Feb 24, 2022
Ted Budd:
Teach the next generation to love our country
The Trump administration fought against the left's radical agenda with the 1776 Commission that brought together scholars and historians to underscore the principles of the founders. It is the key to establishing a base curriculum for a patriotic
education. We have to teach the next generation of our country to love our country. On his very first day in office, Joe Biden canceled this commission. They do not believe in the goodness of America and freedom for people.
Source: Remarks by Rep. Budd at the 2021 CPAC Conference
Feb 26, 2021
Ted Cruz:
Liberty is under assault from the hard left; we will fight
We are gathered in dark times. We're gathered at a time where the hard left, where the socialists control the levers of government, where they control the White House, where they control every executive branch, where they control both houses of
Congress. Bernie is wearing mittens, and AOC is telling us she was murdered. And the media desperately, desperately, desperately wants to see a Republican civil war. Liberty is under assault, and what are we going to do? I'll tell you, we will fight.
Source: Remarks by Senator Cruz at 2021 CPAC Conference
Feb 26, 2021
Ted Cruz:
Big is bad across-the board, Big Government sucks
Let me suggest a simple principle for conservatives to understand. Big is bad across-the-board. Big Government sucks. Big Business sucks. Big tech, big Hollywood, big universities. Any accumulation of power that is centralized is fundamentally
dangerous for individual liberty. What is it that the communists want? They want control of everything. They want centralized power.
Source: Speech at the 2022 CPAC Conference in Orlando FL
Feb 24, 2022
Tom Cotton:
No more urgent task than simple, unapologetic patriotism
That's why there's no more urgent task today than the defense of America and a simple, unapologetic patriotism. We face many threats in this country, whether from China, or Iran, or Islamic terrorism, but there is no more pernicious threat to
America than the rejection of our founding principles and our heritage and our tradition. And to all those on the left who would reject those things, I have a message. We will defend America without fear, without reservation, and without apology.
I'll confess that it makes my blood boil when I see liberals desecrating our flag. When I was in the army, I served at Arlington National Cemetery, and we performed funerals for our fallen heroes. I had to present that flag to their widows, the same
flag was burned in our streets last year. The same flag that pampered athletes disrespect by taking a knee during our national anthem. A lot of our wounded warriors don't have the ability to take a knee anymore.
Source: Remarks by Senator Cotton at the 2021 CPAC Conference
Feb 26, 2021
Donald Trump:
We will liberate America from these villains and scoundrels
We will drive out the globalists, we will cast out the Communists. We will throw off the political class that hates our country, they actually hate our country. No walls, no borders, bad elections, no voter ID. We will beat the Democrats, we will route
the fake news media, we will expose and appropriately deal with the RINOs. We will evict Joe Biden from the White House. We will liberate America from these villains and scoundrels once and for all.
If you put me back in the White House, their reign will be over and they know it. America will be a free nation once again. We are not a free nation right now. We don't have a free press or free anything. In 2016, I declared, I am your voice.
Today, I add, I am your warrior, I am your justice. and for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution. I am your retribution. I will totally obliterate the deep state.
Source: Speech at the 2023 CPAC Conference in Maryland
Mar 4, 2023
Donald Trump:
Demolish woke tyranny; restore the American republic
We will not back down and we will not bend, we will not quit. We will press forward with vigor, we will push onward and finish what we started. We started a great positive revolution and nobody has ever seen anything like it before. It's called
Make America Great Again. We will cross the finish line, we will dismantle the deep state, we will demolish woke tyranny and we will restore the American republic to its radiant glory. With God's help and your support we will make America powerful again.
Source: Speech at the 2023 CPAC Conference in Maryland
Mar 4, 2023
Eric Schmitt:
Fight for an America that stands for freedom and opportunity
It is incredible to be with so many freedom loving patriots. To come together for a very important vision to save America. To fight for our values that we hold dear. To dislodge the weaponized bureaucrats from our lives.
To fight for the forgotten men and women of this country. Those hard-working Americans who play by the rules and provide for their families. I understand your frustration and your desire to pass along an America that stands for freedom and opportunity.
Source: Speech at the 2023 CPAC Conference in Maryland
Mar 2, 2023
John Neely Kennedy:
The United States of America is star-spangled awesome
I think I make the right people mad. What else is the truth? The truth is, God is great, beer is good, and the United States of America is star-spangled awesome.
America is not perfect, but we are good. I cannot imagine what the world would be like without our country.
Source: Speech at the 2023 CPAC Conference in Maryland
Mar 2, 2023
Mike Pompeo:
You can cancel some things, you can't cancel God
When the churches are closed, this is not an America that any of us know or love. Christians, Jews, Muslims, they have held beliefs central to the millennia. They've had to choose between their faith and livelihood.
I worked hard as secretary of state for religious freedom at home and around the world. It is a shame that it is under fire as it is at home and around the world. You can cancel some things, you can't cancel God.
Source: Speech at the 2023 CPAC Conference in Maryland
Mar 3, 2023
Nikki Haley:
The principles at the heart of America are perfect
In case you didn't notice, the liberal media's heads are exploding about my running for president. We all know why. The media cannot stand the fact that I'm a conservative.
Think about it, I am a woman, I am a minority and I'm the daughter of immigrants. I am proof that liberals are wrong about everything they say about America.
They even say America is racist. Wokeness is a virus more dangerous than any pandemic found. I have traveled the world and back and I've seen what's out there.
America is not perfect but the principles at the heart of America are perfect. Take it from me, the first minority female governor in history, America is not a racist country.
Source: Speech at the 2023 CPAC Conference in Maryland
Mar 2, 2023
Rick Scott:
President, Democrats, news media are destroying our country
It is the President of the United States who is destroying our country. It is the U.S. Senate that is destroying our country. It is the news media. It is the Democratic party. Academia, Hollywood, Wall Street and many of our big corporations.
They are absolutely destroying the country we love. But it is not just them. Some politicians who say they are on our side are also destroying our country. They are all destroying our country and we are going to stop them cold.
Source: Speech at the 2023 CPAC Conference in Maryland
Mar 2, 2023
Vivek Ramaswamy:
I am an 'America first' conservative; won't apologize for it
He said this is an opportunity for the Republican Party and for the conservative movement to rise to the occasion and fill that void with a vision of American national identity that runs so deep that it dilutes woke "poison" to "irrelevance."
Mr. Ramaswamy said he is all in on the "America first" agenda. "Believe me, I am an 'America first' conservative. I will not apologise for it. But to put America first, we now need to rediscover what America is."
Source: Speech at the 2023 CPAC Conference in Maryland
Mar 5, 2023
Trent Staggs:
We need leaders who will put America first!
We need leaders who care about everyday Americans. We need leaders who will use the full might and power of our country to defend our citizens.
We need a leader back in the white house who will put America first!
Source: 2024 Utah Senate press release: "CPAC 2024"
Feb 23, 2024
Page last updated: Jul 15, 2024