Oxon Hill, MD – On Friday morning, President Donald Trump delivered remarks to the attendees of this year’s annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Trump spoke to a packed room, filled with thousands of conservatives from all over the country, addressing topics like gun control, recent tax cuts, healthcare, the media, and North Korea, to name a few. But the president also went off script, joking with the crowd. His appearance at the conference highlights his plan to focus on conservative ideas as the 2018 midterm elections approach.
“CPAC has always been about big ideas and putting them into action,” Trump said.
Recent school violence was also a theme of his comments, resonating with the many young conservatives there to hear his speak.
“Why do we protect our airports and banks, but not our schools?” Trump asked the crowd. “When we make schools gun-free zones, it just puts our students in far more danger.”
According to statistics formerly released by the ACU, nearly half of the attendees annually are ages 18-24. For many millennials, witnessing a live speech by a President of the United States, is something they will remember forever.
North Carolina State University student, Mary Stuart Sloan, was one of those millennials Friday morning.
“Seeing our President speak at the largest conservative conference was an amazing experience,” Sloan said. “He specifically spoke about the progress and success his administration has seen since the start of his presidency…It was very apparent from his speech that he is doing everything he can to further the conservative agenda while simultaneously bringing Americans together.”
Stephen Rowe, a young 25-year-old professional living in the D.C. area, was also supportive of Trump’s remarks.
“President Trump is one of the only politicians who keeps his word,” said Rowe. “I don’t always agree with him but he’s a refreshing contrast to other politicians and has my support.”
Emma Gibney, former intern for Family Research Council, and current student at Furman University, thought Trump was successful in appealing to the audience.
“He, as always, was very charismatic,” she said. “He talked for almost a hour and a half about the accomplishments of the first year of the Trump Administration, which were all followed by standing ovations. Because of recent events, he spent a substantial amount of time talking about the Second Amendment and made it obvious school safety is a priority. He also reinforced the importance of showing up to the polls for midterm elections in order to keep the Republican majority in the House and the Senate.”
Millennials will still have the opportunity to hear from Conservative leaders for one more day, as Saturday will conclude 2018’s conference. A live stream of the conference can be viewed at cpac.conservative.org.
