The Independent

‘If heaven has a gate, a wall, and extreme vetting, why can’t America?’

Thousands of conservati­ves will applaud Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ nationalis­m today – even if it has galvanised white supremacis­ts across the US. Feliks Garcia reports

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and legislativ­e branches of government.

The conference hits on familiar tones of mainstream conservati­ves: the Affordable Care Act must be repealed, reproducti­ve rights should be determined by the states (or abolished), and American borders should remain closed. Former UK Independen­ce Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage is due to speak this evening, where he will likely tout his Brexit victory.

On Thursday, speakers in the Potomac Ballroom of the Gaylord Convention Centre, embraced Trumpism of the 21st century, while praising Reaganism of the 1980s. The audience erupted into applause when videos of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President Ronald Reagan appeared – ghosts of a bygone era of conservati­sm.

Panels also take a more aggressive tone against progressiv­e politics: “Black Lives Matter, so why does the Left not support law enforcemen­t?”; “Face, Not Feelings: Snowflakes, Safe Spaces, and Trigger Warnings”; and “If Heaven Has a Gate, a Wall, and Extreme Vetting, Why Can’t America?”

The President is expected to address the conference this morning after appearing to make amends with the ACU following last year's cancellati­on – seen as a snub by conservati­ves. Kellyanne Conway, senior adviser to Mr Trump and former campaign manager, credited his position on the fringes of conservati­sm during his candidacy with placing the party where it stands now.

“Every great movement ends up being a little bit sclerotic and dusty after a time, and I think they need an infusion of energy,” Ms Conway said. “In the case of candidate Trump, and President-elect and nominee Trump, he went right to the grass roots and brought you along.” She added: “He made people feel from the beginning you were part of this movement.” She declared that today, when Mr Trump speaks, the conference “will be TPAC”.

But Mr Trump’s quick rise to the presidency galvanised a movement of white supremacis­ts – recently referred to as the alt-right – who celebrate his hard-line stance against Mexican immigratio­n, as well as his actions to bar immigrants from majority-Muslim countries. The latter was blocked in court and Mr Trump is expected to sign a “fundamenta­lly similar” executive order soon.

CPAC organisers were quick to distance themselves from the once-fringe alt-right group, which has risen to mainstream prominence. “There is a sinister organisati­on that is trying to worm its way into our ranks and we must not be duped,” American Conservati­ve Union director Dan Schneider told attendees. “Just a few years ago, this hate-filled left-wing fascist group hijacked the very term ‘alt-right’. That term has been used for a long time in a very good and normal way.”

The ACU notably uninvited Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoul­os, well-known for views that many consider racist, misogynist, and transphobi­c, following unearthed audio that revealed the blogger apparently endorsing child sex abuse.

Mr Schneider continued his disavowal of the movement, rebuking white supremacis­t Richard Spencer, and cited a meeting he hosted in November where attendees made Nazi salutes. “They are anti-Semites. They are racist. They are sexist,” Mr Schneider said of the alt-right. “They hate the Constituti­on. They hate free markets. They hate pluralism.” Mr Spencer, who was briefly in attendance at CPAC before being ushered out by security guards, tweeted that the speech was “really lame”.

 ??  ?? Senator Ted Cruz, who ran against Trump for the GOP nomination, was among the high-profile speakers at the conference (AP)
Senator Ted Cruz, who ran against Trump for the GOP nomination, was among the high-profile speakers at the conference (AP)

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