'Daddy's home': Trump gets rock star welcome at conservative convention

Greeted by wild applause and chants of "USA! USA!" from a packed hall, US President Donald Trump received a triumphant welcome on Saturday at the annual conservative convention near Washington.

In his uniform blue suit, the US leader took the stage facing a sea of red hats bearing the slogan of his "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), a yearly assembly of top Republicans in suburban Maryland.

From the outset of his nearly 1.5 hour-long speech, the Republican launched into attacks on the "globalists" and "a sinister group of radical left Marxists, warmongers and corrupt special interests," who, according to him, governed the country before his return to power.

The wide-ranging address was punctuated by shouts of "J-6! J-6!" from a small group of supporters in the back of the room thanking the president for pardoning on the first day of his second term those charged with attacking the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Mocking the age of his predecessor Joe Biden, 82, the 78-year-old billionaire leader said of the Democrat "every single thing he touched turned to shit," to raucous cheers and laughter.

- 'Not a phony' -

Trump fans praised the speech and the man himself.

AFP

A woman wears a 'MAGA' jacket displaying her support for President Donald Trump at a major convention of conservatives in National Harbor, Maryland on February 21, 2025

Retiree Martha Weaver said she'd seen the president speak eight times, calling him "genuine."

He's "a billionaire, but a normal person, you could probably have a normal conversation with him, as opposed to people who are just blowing smoke," the 73-year-old told AFP.

Fellow retiree Theresa Menz said: "He's not a phony. He loves America, he loves people, he loves life.

"People don't get it. He's putting us first," said the 74-year-old, sporting a MAGA sweater.

The CPAC convention has been around for decades, but has become a celebration of Trump, even more so this year with his victorious return to the White House.

In the corridors of the sprawling National Harbor convention center, Trump's image and name were omnipresent.

Attendees could take selfies with a life-sized cardboard likeness, purchase sequined vests bearing the words "Trump: The Golden Era" or wear T-shirts showing Trump defiant with a bloodied ear after last July's assassination attempt.

Wearing a "Trump Was Right" T-shirt and a "Make America Great Again" cap, Carol Newton said the first month since his return to the White House has been a "whirlwind."

AFP

Merchandise in support of US President Donald Trump at a vendor booth during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)

And after four years under Biden, "That's what we needed," said the 63-year-old retiree.

Hailing from northwestern Washington state, Newton said she had seen the Republican billionaire "a half-dozen times."

And every time, she added, "You come away feeling good and, you know, enlightened and hopeful and enriched."

- 'Golden Era' -

One woman donned a "Daddy's Home" T-shirt bearing a picture of the Republican leader outside the White House, while another proudly displayed red, white and blue fingernails with "TRUMP" spelled out on one hand and "VANCE," the US vice president, on the other.

"People are happy that Trump is president, you know, and last year we were all hoping he would be," said Clark Page, a 70-year-old retiree from Alabama, referring to the previous CPAC confab.

Page, a former medical equipment salesman, said Trump's first month back in office had been "fantastic."

AFP

Cutouts of Donald Trump and White House 'border czar' Tom Homan with photos of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris behind bars at a "Deportation Center" booth at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)

"Reagan was fantastic, too," he added, referring to the conservative president from the 1980s, "but I've never seen a president as effective as Donald Trump."

While the CPAC attendees interviewed expressed universal excitement about Trump, some said this year's convention was a bit disappointing.

"It's not as crowded as it has been," said 39-year-old Rex Clark, who works for a military contractor. "I hope everybody's not being complacent."

James Ong, a student at Catholic University in Washington, agreed.

"There's like, less enthusiasm here compared to past CPACs," said Ong, who campaigned for Trump last year and is attending his third meeting of the group.

The young people he saw at previous CPAC conventions, the 21-year-old Ong added, seem to have given way to "Baby Boomers" and older Americans.