Conservative activist and lobbyist Matthew Schlapp was left speechless Friday after attempting to “hype up” the crowd at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) conference in Texas, only for the effort to backfire spectacularly.
“How many of you would like to see impeachment hearings?” Schlapp asked the massive crowd at the annual conservative event.
To Schlapp’s surprise, a wave of cheers erupted from the crowd.
“No,” Schlapp responded, shaking his head and smiling awkwardly. “That was the wrong answer. Let me try it again: how many of you would like to see impeachment hearings?”
Schlapp’s second attempt garnered a more mixed response, with some still cheering while others booed.
Schlapp again laughed off the unexpected response.
“Can someone bring some coffee out for the people at CPAC?” he said.
CPAC was founded in 1974, with President Ronald Reagan delivering the organization’s first-ever inaugural keynote speech. It’s held regular annual conferences in years since, with President Donald Trump delivering a speech at the organization’s conference in 2024.
Schlapp, 58, has long been involved in Republican politics, having served as President George W. Bush’s deputy assistant. Schlapp previously served as CPAC’s chair, and currently runs a lobbying firm with close ties to the Trump administration.
The Independent reporter Andrew Feinberg flagged the moment in a post on social media, describing Schlapp’s attempt to “hype up the CPAC crowd” as having gone “horribly wrong.”An attempt by @mschlapp to hype up the CPAC crowd goes horribly wrong —
"How many of you would like to see impeachment hearings?"
[cheers]
"That was the wrong answer..." pic.twitter.com/PQUCThdgV3
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) March 27, 2026