FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House, following the Supreme Court's ruling that Trump had exceeded his authority when he imposed tariffs, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
Current and former Republicans seethed about President Donald Trump during a half-empty conservative summit over the weekend, according to reports.
Conservatives organized the sixth annual Principles First summit just outside Washington, D.C., on Saturday and Sunday, an event estimated to draw around 750 attendees, the Associated Press reported. No currently elected Republican official attended the two-day event, which the AP said was about "half empty."
The sparse attendance didn't stop Republicans from bashing the Trump administration and the president's MAGA movement, which one speaker described as "authoritarian-embracing cult," according to the report.
“He’s everything our founders feared. Say it. Believe it,” Former Republican lawmaker Joe Walsh said, adding that Trump's “authoritarian-embracing cult” is “a threat to everything I love.”
Retired Gen. Mark Hertling, former commander of U.S. military forces in Europe, said U.S. allies have asked him whether the country's institutions "can ever be trusted again."
“Our nation’s institutions have been shaken. Our alliances have been strained. Our credibility has been damaged. And our nation’s values have been cast aside,” he said.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said there seemed to be growing animosity toward Trump within the Republican Party, citing a recent poll that found 25% of Republicans don't approve of Trump's job performance.
“It’s like any show that’s on TV for a long time — the ratings start to go down. And the ratings are going down,” Christie said. “I am willing to bet you that by next February, this room is going to be twice the size of what it is now. After the midterms, you watch.”