At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Donald Trump promised enthusiastic supporters: "We are going to build a brand new, enduring Republican majority that is going to shape American politics for generations to come." He claimed that voters had authorized him to reform the government, crack down on the U.S.-Mexico border issue, and extend the landmark tax cuts from his first term, aiming for a lasting impact on the political landscape.
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02-24, 2025In a speech lasting over an hour, Trump effortlessly returned to campaign mode, predicting continued Republican victories, defying historical trends. History suggests that the party of the president typically underperforms in midterm elections. He insisted that the Republican Party "has probably never been at a level like this," signaling confidence in the party's future.
Trump likened the new administration's first month to leading all the way through the first four holes on a golf course, saying it made him confident about the fifth. "Nobody's ever seen anything like this," Trump said. He also stated that he would implement stricter immigration policies, but these efforts were largely overshadowed by the government's massive federal layoffs, creating a sense of disruption.
Trump announced that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was among the agencies with significantly reduced staff, and its Washington offices would be taken over by Customs and Border Protection officials. "The agency's name has been removed from its original office building," he said. The president also reiterated his previous commitment to auditing the gold reserves at Fort Knox in Kentucky. "Anybody want to join us?" he gestured to the cheering crowd, suggesting the government might focus on inspecting the facility. "We want to see if the gold is still there."
Trump also spent a significant portion of his speech reviewing last year's presidential campaign, mocking former President Biden, and deliberately mispronouncing former Vice President Kamala Harris's name, gleefully declaring, "I haven't said that name in a long time." Despite urging from evangelical conservatives not to use vulgar language, he used expletives to describe Biden's handling of border security. However, Trump's tone was more moderate towards Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying "I happen to like" him, while stating that "we've been treated unfairly by China and many other countries."
During breaks in the conference, Trump met with conservative Polish President Andrzej Duda, at a time when Europe is tense due to Russia's war in Ukraine. Trump paid tribute to Duda and another attendee, Argentine President Javier Milei, after taking the stage. Trump called Duda "a fantastic guy and a great friend of mine," and said "you must be doing something right to be with Trump." He noted that Milei was also "a MAGA (Make Argentina Great Again) guy."
Poland is a long-standing ally of Ukraine. Trump's move to send senior foreign policy advisors to Saudi Arabia for direct talks with Russian officials aimed at ending the fighting in Ukraine has upended recent U.S. policy. These talks did not include Ukrainian or European officials, which has raised concerns among U.S. allies. Trump is scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House on Monday and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday.
Trump has also publicly clashed with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, with the U.S. president calling Zelenskyy a "dictator" while falsely implying that Ukraine started the war—although Trump admitted on Friday that Russia attacked its neighbor. Trump told the CPAC crowd: "I'm dealing with President Zelenskyy. I'm dealing with President Putin," adding that the fighting in Ukraine "affects Europe. It doesn't really affect us." Zelenskyy has stated that Trump lives in a Russian-fabricated "information space."
Since Russia's invasion in February 2022, the U.S., under Biden's leadership, has pledged that Ukraine will play a role in any major effort to end the fighting, vowing "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine." The Trump administration has abandoned that concept, and the Republican president has accelerated his search for an end to the war. "I think we're very close to having a deal, and we better have a deal close," Trump said. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later told reporters that Trump and his team are focused on negotiations to end the war, and "the President is very confident that we can get it done this week," although such a tight timeline seems difficult.
Leavitt is one of three administration officials facing a lawsuit filed by the Associated Press citing the First and Fifth Amendments. The AP says the three are punishing the news organization for editorial decisions they opposed. The White House says the AP did not comply with an executive order referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of the Americas.
Later, Trump hosted a formal dinner at the White House for governors from across the country who are in Washington for the National Governors Association meeting. Trump said Republicans and Democrats could call him anytime and joked that he might address Democrats' concerns first. "Let's recommit to making America stronger and more special than ever before," Trump said. "We're going to be a united country, and maybe together, if we start uniting, it'll be easier."
The president, wearing a tuxedo and bow tie, was accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, who also wore her own tuxedo, but without a bow tie. Trump told the assembled guests that his wife helped organize the event. "She worked very hard to make sure everything was beautiful," he said to applause. Trump also said he would lead anyone who wanted to see the Lincoln Bedroom after dinner. "I think it's probably the most important room in the whole country," he said. "Certainly the most important bedroom."
