At a premier event for conservatives across the globe, luminaries from various right-leaning parties came together to discuss an ongoing movement that transcends national borders, a movement turbocharged by President Trump. Nigel Farage, a key strategist of the landmark Brexit decision, was among the global faces of rightist movements who graced the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference occurring near the nation’s capital.
Significant allies of the U.S. in Europe perceived the comments made by both President Trump and Vice President JD Vance on the topics of Germany and Ukraine as a significant deviation from post-World War II norms. However, this narrative was seen in an altogether different light by a group of influential world leaders attending the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland.
These leaders perceived the critiques, far from threatening the international order, as heralding an era of a global rightist renewal, an era that Trump’s re-election is set to cement irrevocably. As British parliamentarian Liz Truss, occasionally helming the Prime Minister position, reminded, ‘We missed the first American Revolution in 1776. We want to be a part of the second American Revolution.’
Liz Truss was among a multitude of political dignitaries from a host of countries that journeyed to attend CPAC this week at Oxon Hill, Md. This location, on the periphery of the U.S capital, witnessed a mass convergence of conservatism aimed at spurring right-wing uprisings within the Republican Party, reminiscent of the Tea Party and Trump eras.
For several years now, CPAC has served as a global platform, its aspirations reaching well beyond the U.S, connecting rightist political movements throughout Americas, Europe, and Asia. These movements see themselves as a collective front attempting to reform the institutions and geopolitical conventions that have been governing world matters post World War II.
In the past few days, Trump and his top officials have raised certain critiques challenging these long-standing norms. Notably, these criticisms have been more explicit and open than any presented by a U.S. administration in the postwar era.
The pattern of recent conversations demonstrates a clear departure from established conventions. However, this departure is seen by many as a necessary shake-up to instigate crucial changes in global affairs.
After all, questioning the accepted norm has always been the propelling force behind the most impactful transformations. President Trump and his administration are simply following this thought process.
In fact, the appeal of this seemingly radical candor resonates across the right-wing movements worldwide. This explains the multi-country presence at CPAC and the shared optimism towards the potential transformation of globally accepted norms.
The act of questioning should not be seen as a threat but as an opportunity. An opportunity to analyze the efficacy of systems long entrenched in our societies. An opportunity to rectify and modify, to better suit the evolving global landscape.
CPAC has become the stage where these dialogs happen. Where old norms are questionably pondered, and new ideas are born. A venue where nations connect over shared beliefs and goals.
It isn’t about dismantling the old but about improving it with fresh perspectives. And that is the essence of this global right-wing resurgence. With Trump’s re-election, this approach is about to make a significant impact across the world.
At the end of the day, it is the sheer force behind the belief in transformation that fuels these changes. And there is no force comparable to the united strength of committed believers, such as those gathered under the banner of CPAC, eager to shape the world order.