Theories of conspiracy, pro-Trump glitter outfits, and conservative businesses converge at this four-day event, offering a glimpse of a movement increasingly defined by its culture as much as its political positions. Here, politics is not just debated, it is worn, staged, and shared. At the booths, everything is for sale, from cigars with Donald Trump’s image to baseball caps, bank accounts, and phone plans described as alternatives to institutions accused of going against conservatives.
A commercial and ideological showcase
“It’s a question of good values, having good ethics, and being honest,” says Sandy Schoepke, a supporter of the American president who has a booth at CPAC for the second time. In the hall, a giant banner shows Donald Trump transformed into an action movie hero accompanied by the slogan “Save America Again”. The president did not attend the event this year, a first since 2016.
“It’s not every day that we come together in such large numbers,” observes Eric Ohlhausen, co-founder of Old Glory Bank, an online institution to address what he calls “banking exclusion” of conservatives. “We are openly a pro-America bank that promises not to exclude clients for their opinions,” adds Eric Ohlhausen. According to him, “this message resonates [with] people who have been harshly targeted by financial institutions.”
Just a few meters away, John Adams, who boasts of having the same name as the second American president, heads a booth selling cigars with Donald Trump and American leaders’ images. “Our mission is to tell the beautiful story of America,” explains John Adams. Above him, conferences are multiplying. But he claims to be too busy catering to customers who he says are flocking to buy cigar boxes with Donald Trump’s image. “In five years, I haven’t seen a speaker,” recounts John Adams.
An immersive media ecosystem
Beyond the derivative products, the hall also serves as a media ecosystem. Rows of radio shows and podcasts line up next to influencers on their phones, while small stages are set up to welcome personalities like former British Prime Minister Liz Truss. This creates an immersive effect: the political message is produced, consumed, and reinforced in the same place.
