At CPAC, More Talk of Trolling Europe Than Defending Ukraine

When J.D. Vance walked on the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland on Thursday, he admitted he was still a little jet-lagged. Last week, he’d traveled to Paris, where he’d called for Europe to roll back its regulations on artificial intelligence, and then Munich, where he criticized the continent’s commitment to democracy but didn’t mention Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. A jovial Vance was now back in Washington, D.C. after having traveled to San Diego for a family wedding. “I’m in a good place right now, I got some sleep last night,” Vance said.

European leaders likely haven’t been so lucky. Vance’s visit, his pointed criticism of European nations, and Trump’s moves signaling a willingness to align himself with Russian President Vladimir Putin have sent the continent’s leaders into urgent huddles, as they figure out how to navigate a potential world without American security guarantees against Russian aggression.

While the dramatic shift in U.S. foreign policy has shocked and troubled many in Washington, there were few signs of such concerns among the MAGA-friendly attendees at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland. When Vance brought up his Munich speech at the annual four-day gathering, the crowd at the conference cheered. Later in the day, when House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked in an on-stage interview about the prospect of Congress approving more funding to help Ukraine, he said, “There’s no appetite for that.” He then turned to the crowd. “What do you think?” A murmur of nos and boos moved across the room.

Thirty days into his presidency, the crowd at CPAC had few complaints about Trump’s accomplishments thus far, including his turning away from the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine. In the past week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russia’s foreign minister to discuss ending the conflict without Ukrainian officials in the room. That meeting upended three years of American foreign policy that the U.S. would do “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” Then this week, Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator,” a moniker he’s never used to describe Putin, and falsely alleged it was Ukraine that started the war, and not Russia’s 2022 tank blitz toward Kyiv.

At CPAC, Johnson defended Trump’s public criticism of Zelensky, saying it was part of a strategy to lay the groundwork for Ukraine and Russia to reach a deal to end the war. “You’ve got to give him room to operate and do what he does,” Johnson said. “He’s doing a level set.”

Conference speakers, which included right-wing leaders from other countries, were at times more interested in prodding Europe than delving into Ukraine’s future. Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who is currently President of the European Conservative Reformist Party, called Europe a “continent in decline.” Liz Truss, a former British prime minister, said on Wednesday that the British state “is now failing” and she hopes to see a movement in Britain “like you have in the U.S. with MAGA.” Truss told CPAC organizer Matt Schlapp on stage that she would like to see a British CPAC conference in the future. “It’s a deal!” Schlapp said.

Attendees at CPAC didn’t seem too upset at the prospect of Trump abruptly turning his back on a country Russia invaded. “We can’t sacrifice our own people here who are hurting, who we see every day, just to help other people in other nations,” says Indira Roberts, 58, who works in medical sales in Greensboro, N.C. Ann Kertef, 72, drove to the conference from Annapolis, Md., and said she’s concerned that the money that’s gone to Ukraine hasn’t been well spent. The U.S. has provided $65 billion in military assistance to Ukraine’s defense since the start of the Russian invasion. “Why is there no accountability for this money? Something goes wrong in this country, we do nothing, and we’re sending billions and billions of dollars to these people? I do have some compassion for these people, but not unaccountable.”

Hogan Gidley, a GOP strategist and former Trump campaign spokesman, says that Trump supporters want to see the war in Ukraine end, but aren’t caught up in the details of how that happens. “They know Donald Trump kept peace around the globe the first time around and they have confidence and trust he’ll do it again.” Gidley says. “How he gets there is less important to them.”