CPAC Divided: Trump, War, Midterms

0:00It's March 26th. From Hollywood to your headphones, this is Entertainment and Celebrity News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the Story. Conservatives from around the country are heading to Texas this week for the conservative political action conference or CPAC, one of the biggest, Republican gatherings of the year. For the first time in nearly a decade, President Donald Trump won't be there with a White House official citing his busy schedule and the ongoing war. In Iran, as reasons, the event comes at a tense moment for the party, as the conflict has divided some of Trump's core, magasupporters. Vice President JD Vance, who spoke last year, isn't on the line of either. Meanwhile, a few high-profile allies have pushed back hard, including former counterterrorism official, Joe Kent, who just quit over his opposition to. The war. Reactions from Trump backers like media figures Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson highlight growing frustration, with warnings that prolonged fighting, could hurt Republican chances in

1:02the fall midterms by alienating voters. On the flip side, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a potential 2028 presidential hopeful and war supporter, is set to speak. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows 54% of voters overall oppose the U.S. military action in Iran, though 86% of Republicans. Back it. The conference overlaps with midterm primaries, including a tight Texas Senate runoff between Senator John Corden and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who's addressing a key dinner while Corden sits it out. Other rising GOP candidates, like those eyeing open Senate seats in North Carolina and Kentucky, will also appear, setting the stage for debates that could shape the party's path forward amid these divisions.