I was told that an email from Ann Coulter is what led David Keene to hire me in 2006.
She wrote, “You only have to tell Lisa to do something once.”
Despite all the drama, I hope he never regretted it.
While David was chairman of the <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/mar/9/david-keene-maestro-conservative-movement-dead-80/">American Conservative Union</a>, a volunteer position, I worked with him as the Director of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) from June 2006 to April 2011. In planning the conference there were many ups and downs. I’m sure there were times when I disappointed David in some effort, but I can’t think of any time when he disappointed me. Even though I was only 28 when I began as CPAC Director, he gave me the same opportunity to give my opinion when I disagreed with a board member, sponsor, speaker, or member of Congress. Not to brag, but I won a couple of those battles.
During the five years I worked with David, I was privy to the way he worked within the conservative movement. I saw him compromise with people he didn’t like and who didn’t like him. I saw him defend people he disagreed with on issues because it was the right thing to do. I saw him make decisions based on what was best for the conference attendees and nothing else. I was on a high when he once told me a speaker idea I had was “inspired.”
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1056821" style="width: 576px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1056821" class="size-full wp-image-1056821" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/UW-Madison.jpg" alt="Source: YAF at UW-Madison@WisconsinYAF" width="566" height="522" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/UW-Madison.jpg 566w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/UW-Madison-300x277.jpg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 566px) 100vw, 566px" />Source: @WisconsinYAF</div>
One of the things I admired most about David is that he’s not one of those Old Guard members of the conservative movement who don’t value dissent or new blood. As the chairman of ACU/CPAC, he fought to give everyone a seat at the table. Those like Chris Barron, who endeavored to start a group that represented conservative gays and their allies. As well as leaders of the Tea Party movement who criticized his friends in Congress.
David was adamant about including emerging conservative leaders as speakers at the conference. In February 2010, it was his idea to invite Marco Rubio, who was then a long shot in the Republican primary against Charlie Crist, to be the opening speaker at CPAC. He knew the value of sending that message to his Republican friends and to the media.
I’ve seen him give dozens and dozens of young leaders and unknown activists a place in the spotlight over the years. I was fortunate to be one of them. I’m sure it’s because he still thought of himself as one of us — and he was! On <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/john-gizzi/david-keene-political-strategist-obit/2026/03/08/id/1248779/">Newsmax</a>, John Gizzi wrote about David’s decades in the conservative movement that began on his college campus.
When Rush Limbaugh was the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w32hFilBAUg">closing speaker</a> at the 2009 conference, it was David who suggested I introduce Rush. We knew the speech would be covered by many of the networks, and it was a very visible spot. David didn’t insist on some well-known Congressman or Senator, donor, or head of a prominent conservative organization. He suggested me because during one of our planning sessions, I said Rush was the person who got me excited about being a conservative. Rush was my Reagan. 
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1056729" style="width: 614px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1056729" class="size-full wp-image-1056729" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Rush-cpac.jpg" alt="Source: Kevin McKeever" width="604" height="453" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Rush-cpac.jpg 604w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Rush-cpac-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px" />Source: Kevin McKeever</div>
The same thing happened a few years later when Donald Trump was scheduled to make a surprise appearance at the conference (thanks to Chris Barron!), and I expressed interest in introducing him because I enjoyed Trump’s candor — also no one else asked. How times have changed.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-1056731 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Trump-cpac-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Trump-cpac-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Trump-cpac-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Trump-cpac-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Trump-cpac-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Trump-cpac.jpg 1280w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></div>
From time to time, friends or acquaintances came to me with an idea or project and requested a meeting with David. Unless the timing just didn’t work out, I don’t recall any instance when David refused to meet with someone. He was always available to give young conservatives advice and to listen to what they had to say. In fact, it is because of David that CPAC became a must-attend event for College Republicans and other conservative students. In CPAC’s early years, David made a promise to President Reagan that CPAC would never be priced out of reach for students and young activists. Even when hotel costs went up, student registration was always between $25-50 ($15 for early bird rate). He also knew the value of CPAC as a reunion for the “vast right-wing conspiracy.” It wasn’t just about what was happening on stage, but the conversations that happened in the bar, at ancillary events and in the hallways. It was where people met future coworkers, allies, and spouses.
Even though I hadn’t spoken to David in years, it is very important to me that he be remembered for the intellectual and activist giant that he was. In the five years I worked for him, I learned which battles were worth fighting. I learned the importance of being supportive of friends. While I wish I could have worked for David longer than I did (we both left in 2011), I’ll always be grateful to him for giving me a chance to lead CPAC during an important time for the conservative movement. I’ll also remember the man he was in a city and industry that treats people as disposable and transactional. 
As his daughter Kerry wrote, “I will remember not the public figure, but a father who welcomed me as his own, who gave me a home, and my first job.”
I will always think of him that way, too.
* * *
Lisa De Pasquale is an author, columnist, and the former director of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). She&#8217;s a frequent guest on Fox News and Fox Business, the founder of <a href="https://getbright.substack.com/p/david-keene-a-conservative-og-who">&#8220;Bright&#8221; on Substack</a>, and the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gen-Handbook-Middle-Age-Fulfillment/dp/B0F4PMD8J6">author of</a> “The Gen X Handbook for Middle Age: The Pursuit of Health, Success, and Human Fulfillment.” De Pasquale has authored articles for a variety of publications including The Federalist, Washingtonian, The Daily Caller, and The Washington Times. Follow her on Twitter/X: @LisaDeP and on Instagram at @Lisa_DeP.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Leading Conservatives Attend 40th Annual CPAC

David Keene Bet On Young Conservatives Before Anyone Else Did

Conservatives

CPAC

Republicans

Rush Limbaugh

President Donald J. Trump, in his January 6, 2026, address marking National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, reaffirmed the administration’s unwavering commitment to ending modern-day slavery, holding traffickers accountable, and empowering survivors to rebuild their lives. That is why the bipartisan Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, which passed both the House and Senate unanimously, is so important.
Human trafficking is not only one of the most vicious crimes in the world, but also one of the most profitable. Modern-day slavery has become a multibillion-dollar criminal enterprise where the supply and demand are the same thing: human beings. People are bought and sold again and again, not because trafficking is hidden, but because it is high-reward and low-risk. Traffickers too often evade justice. Too frequently, victims cannot find justice.
For eight years, Hollie lived that reality.
“My traffickers stripped me of my freedom, my income, my career, my safety, my family, my reputation, my body, and nearly my life.”
When Hollie finally escaped exploitation, she did not step into freedom. She stepped into a system that failed to recognize her as a victim. Instead of protection, she faced punishment. Instead of justice, she faced criminalization for acts she was forced to commit to survive.
That experience is not unique. It is tragically common.
Traffickers routinely coerce victims into committing crimes, selling sex, transporting drugs, using false identification, or engaging in financial fraud, solely for the trafficker’s benefit. This is known as forced criminality, and it is a well-documented reality of human trafficking. Yet when government systems fail to properly identify victims, survivors are arrested, prosecuted, and left with criminal records that follow them long after they escape.
Those records become invisible shackles.
They block access to jobs, housing, education, and financial stability. They keep survivors trapped in cycles of poverty and vulnerability. And they send a devastating message: that the law holds victims responsible for crimes committed against them.
As Hollie has said, “I did not emerge from exploitation into freedom. I emerged into a system that did not know how to see me, protect me, or distinguish me from the crimes committed against me.”
That is not justice.
Conservatives believe in accountability. However, accountability must be placed where it belongs: on the criminals, not the victims. Traffickers should face the full force of the law. Survivors should not be punished for surviving.
This legislation is not symbolic. It is corrective. Many states have already enacted this type of legislation; however, the federal government has been behind the curve.
The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act creates a clear federal pathway for survivors of human trafficking to vacate and expunge convictions for non-violent crimes that resulted directly from their exploitation. It also establishes an affirmative defense to prevent wrongful convictions before they happen. In doing so, it restores integrity to the justice system by ensuring prosecutors recognize and pursue the true perpetrators of crime.
As the bill’s lead sponsor, Congressman Russell Fry of South Carolina, rightly noted, “It makes sense to give prosecutors tools in their toolbox to go after the true perpetrators of these crimes and not the victims themselves. This is common sense.”
He is right. Survivors should never have carried the legal consequences of their traffickers’ crimes in the first place.
This bill is survivor-informed, shaped by those who understand firsthand how systems fail and how they can be fixed. Survivors know that justice cannot end at initial recovery or prosecution — it must extend into long-term restoration, independence, and self-sufficiency.
Hollie has spent years working with law enforcement to improve victim identification, advising prosecutors and judges on survivor-centered justice, partnering with service providers to ensure help does not end at crisis, and collaborating with financial institutions and policymakers to empower survivors to rebuild their lives.
The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act represents American leadership with moral clarity.
The United States can now become the only country with federal legislation that explicitly recognizes forced criminality and provides survivors a clear legal path to relief from convictions tied to their exploitation. That matters. A just nation protects the innocent, punishes the guilty, and restores those who have been wronged.
This law gives survivors a real second chance — the chance to work, to secure housing, to pursue education, and to fully participate in American life without being haunted by crimes they were forced to commit.
It replaces punishment with accountability.
Justice should heal. Justice should be restored. And justice should never ask survivors to carry the crimes of their traffickers.
With the passage of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, America takes an important step toward making that principle the law of the land.
* * *
Mercedes “Mercy” Schlapp is a CPAC Senior Fellow and former senior White House advisor to President Donald Trump, as well as Director of Specialty Media for President George W. Bush. She is a Republican strategist, media commentator, and co-host of CPAC 365 and America Uncanceled.
Hollie Nadel is a survivor of human trafficking and a graduate of Ithaca College. In recent years, Nadel has prioritized raising awareness of the reality of human trafficking, serving as a consultant for anti-trafficking organizations. She received her certification from the ACAMS/ Liechtenstein Initiative for Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking, provided survivor support for the Survivor Inclusion Initiative, and is currently working to pass additional anti-trafficking legislation.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

President Trump Speaks At The House GOP Member Retreat

The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act Puts Justice Back Where It Belongs

Donald Trump

Human Trafficking

Trump Administration

Women

President Donald Trump promised on Saturday that cartel members in the United States would be “hunted down” and removed from the country.
Trump spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference and referred to cartel members as “savage monsters” that his government will pursue and expel from the United States.
“Their members and leaders in the United States will be hunted down – I’m talking about MS-13, they’re hunting them down. We removed tens of thousands MS-13, Tren de Aragua – rooted out, arrested, and expelled from our soil like the savage monsters that they are,” Trump said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: MS-13 and Tren de Aragua members in the United States &quot;will be hunted down&#8230; rooted out, arrested and expelled from our soil like the savage monsters that they are.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SXXvJyJV1x">pic.twitter.com/SXXvJyJV1x</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1893396287816421545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Criminal gangs from south of the U.S. border have gained increased influence in the United States in recent years. Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua&#8217;s <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-report-warns-bloodthirsty-venezuelan-gangs-footprint-remain-us-for-decades">rise</a> in the United States coincided with an unprecedented illegal immigration crisis that surged into the U.S. during the Biden administration.
On Thursday, the Department of State designated eight international criminal gangs, including MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists.
“The intent of designating these cartels and transnational organizations as terrorists is to protect our nation, the American people, and our hemisphere. That means stopping the campaigns of violence and terror by these vicious groups both in the United States and internationally. These designations provide law enforcement additional tools to stop these groups,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a <a href="https://www.state.gov/terrorist-designations-of-international-cartels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
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The designation fulfilled a longtime goal of Trump&#8217;s, who began to pursue terrorist designations against cartels during his first administration.
In addition to MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, the other cartels listed under the State Department designation are the Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Cartel of the Northeast, La Nueva Familia Michoacana, Gulf Cartel, and Cárteles Unidos.
The designations sprang from a January order by President Trump to list such organizations as terror groups.
“The Cartels’ activities threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere,” the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/designating-cartels-and-other-organizations-as-foreign-terrorist-organizations-and-specially-designated-global-terrorists/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">order</a> says. “Their activities, proximity to, and incursions into the physical territory of the United States pose an unacceptable national security risk to the United States.”

President Donald Trump

Trump At CPAC: Cartel Members Will Be ‘Hunted Down’ Like ‘The Savage Monsters That They Are’

Trump At CPAC: Cartel Members Will Be 'Hunted Down’ Like ‘The Savage Monsters That They Are'

Drug Cartels

Illegal Immigration

Tren De Aragua

U.S.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni delivered an impassioned speech on the state of Europe at CPAC on Saturday, asserting that Europe’s identity had been “sacrificed on the altar of wokeness, bureaucracy, and mercantilism.”
Meloni came to the defense of Vice President JD Vance in her speech, who has been heavily critiqued by European elites for his speech regarding censorship and cultural identity at the Munich Security conference last week.
In her address, Meloni declared, “We must say to [the elites] that we will never be ashamed of who we are &#8230; we affirm our identity and work to strengthen it.”
“Without a deep-rooted identity, we cannot be great again,” Meloni emphasized.
During her appearance via video at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the prime minister described supporters of mass migration in Europe as part of a “mainstream propaganda machine” that she said falsely predicted Italy’s international isolation.
“We do what we say. We do what is right. We fight for what we believe in. And moreover, we trust people, not fear them.”
Meloni also underscored her perspective on the dangers of so-called “American liberal leftism,” which she argued had been adopted in Europe by a set of “ruling classes and mainstream media.” She maintained that these elites “imported and replicated in the old continent the most reckless theories,” fueling what she sees as a weakening of Europe’s true cultural underpinnings.
Continuing her endorsement of Vance’s position, she reiterated that the vice president had urged European leaders to be clear about “what we are defending” before discussing defense and security matters.
“Vice President Vance was discussing something deeper,” Meloni said, emphasizing “identity, democracy, [and] freedom of speech” as the cornerstone of any Western alliance.
She called on European leaders to show the same level of unity in protecting these foundational values, insisting that “you cannot defend your freedom if you lack the means or the courage to do so.”
Meloni concluded by arguing that greater cooperation is critical, warning against the notion that Europe is “distant or even lost.” Pointing to successes claimed by conservative leadership in various parts of Europe, she maintained that momentum continues to build.
“There is a growing awareness in Europe that security is now the top priority,” she noted, urging leaders to focus on measures that safeguard both Europe’s borders and its cultural identity against what she characterized as external threats and internal ideological pressures.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Italian Prime Minister GIORGIA MELONI&#039;S Full Speech at CPAC 2025" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l1GGSPp_Md0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Conservatives Gather For Annual CPAC Conference In Washington DC

Italian PM Defends Vance: Europe Has Been ‘Sacrificed On The Altar Of Wokeness’

Culture

Europe

Giorgia Meloni

Global Politics

J.D. Vance

World

Trump Border Czar Tom Homan delivered a fiery speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, praising the administration&#8217;s border security strides and promising an even more aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration.
Homan praised the Trump administration for achieving “the most secure border in my lifetime” and vowed to “open up every avenue of law enforcement” to combat illegal immigration.
In less than a month under these renewed measures, Homan said illegal crossings have dropped “95%” while Immigration and Customs Enforcement has conducted more than “21,000” arrests.
He also criticized sanctuary cities as providing a “sanctuary for criminals” and announced a broader interior crackdown. Homan further declared the administration’s intent to label Mexican cartels as terrorist groups, warning that their collaborators would be assisting a “terrorist organization.”
Homan used much of his remarks to underscore the need for strong cooperation between federal and local agencies. He censured officials who refuse to turn over individuals suspected of crimes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), portraying them as harboring violent offenders.
“We’re not making this s*** up. We’re enforcing the laws enacted by Congress,” he said, warning all “criminal aliens” would be prosecuted and removed from the country.
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He singled out certain cities in particular, including Boston, where Homan said criminals had been released back into communities instead of being transferred for deportation proceedings. “I’m coming to Boston,” he declared. “I’m bringing hell with me.”
Homan’s goal in these cities would be to track down offenders who had evaded federal action and ensure that “they’re locked back up.”
In addition to broader enforcement efforts, Homan suggested tapping into resources across multiple federal agencies to bolster arrests and prosecutions in areas with high violent crime. He noted that coordinated initiatives, including assistance from the United States Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, would supplement ICE operations that focus on guns, narcotics, and other serious offenses. By tightening interagency cooperation, Homan said, officials would ensure criminal suspects faced prosecution before deportation.
Homan stressed that moral imperatives and national security interests aligned in enforcing these laws, promising that with government backing, officials would keep the pace until “every criminal alien, every gang member” was apprehended and removed.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Border Czar Tom Homan at CPAC 2025: FULL SPEECH" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gqf69XrQ6TY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

US-POLITICS-CPAC

Trump Border Czar Promises ‘Hell’ For Sanctuary Cities In Fiery CPAC Speech

Border Crisis

Deportations

Tom Homan

President Donald Trump unloaded on his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, telling a packed crowd at CPAC on Saturday that everything Biden touched &#8220;turned to s***,&#8221; calling him the &#8220;worst president&#8221; in U.S. history.
Trump told supporters that he&#8217;s &#8220;cleaning up&#8221; Biden&#8217;s mess, including dealing with inflation and illegal immigration. In June 2022, inflation reached <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/u-s-inflation-at-9-1-percent-a-record-high" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a record-breaking 9.1%</a>, and Biden also presided over record-setting <a href="https://americafirstpolicy.com/issues/illegal-immigration-remains-at-record-high-under-biden-harris-administrations-failed-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal immigration</a> numbers.
“He was &#8216;sleepy Joe,&#8217; but he was crooked as hell,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;He was a sleepy, crooked guy. He was a terrible, terrible president. He was the worst president in the history of our country &#8212; I don&#8217;t care, I&#8217;ll say it.&#8221;
Trump said former President Jimmy Carter &#8220;passed away recently, and he passed away a happy man&#8221; because Biden &#8220;was the worst&#8221; president. &#8220;It&#8217;s not even close,&#8221; Trump said.
&#8220;I have to clean up the mess, I&#8217;m cleaning up the mess, and it is a mess &#8212; on the border, with inflation,&#8221; the president continued. &#8220;Every single thing he touched turned to s*** &#8212; everything.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🤣🔥Trump’s CPAC speech turned into a Biden ROAST session:
&#8220;Everything he touched turned to shit.. They thought he looked good in a bathing suit&#8230; then he fell asleep.
&#8220;Carter passed away happy&#8230; Because Biden was the worst President in history.&#8221; 
<a href="https://t.co/lubBvlmAmX">pic.twitter.com/lubBvlmAmX</a>
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1893397551409189280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
During his speech, Trump also hit on cultural issues, underscoring how he banned males from female sports through executive action.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
&#8220;I MADE IT THE OFFICIAL POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT THAT THERE ARE ONLY TWO GENDERS, MALE AND FEMALE. I BANNED MEN FROM COMPETING IN WOMEN’S SPORTS.” President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> <a href="https://t.co/2vVbW8kHIL">pic.twitter.com/2vVbW8kHIL</a>
— Real America&#8217;s Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealAmVoice/status/1893409612218380327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
The president specifically took a shot at Democrat <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maine-to-schools-were-sticking-with-trans-sports-policy-trump-admin-takes-action" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maine Gov. Janet Mills</a>, who says she&#8217;ll continue to allow males in female spaces and sports, despite Trump&#8217;s executive orders on gender.
&#8220;She&#8217;s fighting to keep men in women&#8217;s sports,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Let [Mills] do that fight, let them all do that fight, because I think that&#8217;s about a 90/10 issue, and I can&#8217;t figure out who the 10% [in favor of it] are.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
TRUMP RIPS GOVERNOR MILLS AT CPAC: <a href="https://t.co/uAIcmCUfEJ">pic.twitter.com/uAIcmCUfEJ</a>
— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMaineWire/status/1893394243483250802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maines-trans-sports-policy-could-cost-state-100m-in-usda-money-trump-admin-warns?topStoryPosition=undefined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maine’s Trans Sports Policy Could Cost State $100M In USDA Money, Trump Admin Warns</a>

‘Every Single Thing He Touched Turned To S***’: Trump Unloads On Biden At CPAC

‘Everything He Touched Turned To S***’: Trump Unloads On Biden At CPAC

Executive

Joe Biden

Politics

Daily Wire host Michael Knowles sat down with PBS Newshour on Thursday as conservatives gathered in Washington, D.C., for the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). 
During the interview on the taxpayer-funded network, host Amna Nawaz asked Knowles questions on a range of issues before taking exception to some of his comments on transgenderism. Nawaz brought up a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michael-knowles-doubles-down-on-trans-cpac-comments-that-set-internet-ablaze">remark Knowles made</a> at CPAC in 2023 about “eradicating” the ideology of transgenderism. 
The PBS Newshour host asked Knowles to explain his belief further, saying, “I’ll confess, I don’t know what the difference is” between “eradicating” transgender ideology and “eradicating” transgender people.
“If I say that I want to eradicate poverty, I’m not saying that I want to eradicate all the poor people,” Knowles replied. “Quite the opposite. I would like to help the poor people by eradicating poverty.&#8221;
“For the good of society and especially for the good of the poor people who have fallen prey to this confusion, transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely, the whole preposterous ideology at every level,” he added. 
Knowles pointed out that “men can’t really become women,” arguing that it’s unhelpful to “lie” to people who are “confused about their sex.” 
Nawaz contended with Knowles over his statements about biological reality. 
“This is a belief system that you hold. Transgenderism is something that has been acknowledged by medical professionals,” Nawaz said. 
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“And rejected by medical professionals,” Knowles shot back. 
“By a few. There’s an entire body of scientific and medical knowledge that back this up, and that’s what gender-affirming care has been based on in recent years,” Nawaz said. 
The PBS Newshour host then reverted to asking Knowles about his use of the word “eradicate,” saying, “Do you worry that puts a target on peoples’ backs?”
“Certainly not,” Knowles responded. “In fact, the only targets that I’ve had on my own back are when I question these kinds of ideologies that have been so terrible for people. The only times I’ve ever been attacked in public — in one case, someone is in federal prison for trying to blow me up at a speech in Pittsburgh — is because I dared to question the trans ideology.”
“People are being introduced to this ideology at younger and younger ages,” Knowles continued. “It can lead to horrific outcomes, especially for younger people put on puberty blockers, which often cannot be reversed. It leads to castration, bone problems, and early death. These are not the sort of things that we should wish for people if we wish for their own good.” 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Commentator Michael Knowles on Trump&#039;s power and the conservative movement" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6tnuLCK-sR4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Michael Knowles speaks at CPAC 2024

‘Not The Sort Of Things We Should Wish For People’: Knowles Debates PBS Host On Transgenderism

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Michael Knowles

Transgender

Transgenders

On Thursday, at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., Elon Musk waved a chainsaw bequeathed him by Argentina&#8217;s President Javier Milei at the event, proclaiming, &#8220;This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy.”
Milei has been cutting the Argentinian budget successfully; his austerity measures gave the country its <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/argentina-logs-first-financial-surplus-14-years-2024-2025-01-17/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first budget surplus</a> in more than ten years in 2024. Argentina had a budget surplus of 1.76 trillion pesos, and the primary fiscal balance rose to a 10.41 trillion peso surplus.
At CPAC, Milei walked onstage with the chainsaw and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-chainsaw-trump-doge-6568e9e0cfc42ad6cdcfd58a409eb312" target="_blank" rel="noopener">handed it</a> to Musk. The chainsaw was engraved with a motto Milei has embraced, “Viva la libertad, carajo,” which means, “Long live liberty, damn it.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is so epic. The president of Argentina <a href="https://twitter.com/JMilei?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JMilei</a> presents Elon Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a> with a golden chainsaw.
A chainsaw to CUT bureaucracy. 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲 <a href="https://t.co/wJCIJfhMjJ">pic.twitter.com/wJCIJfhMjJ</a>
&mdash; Patriot Lady (@angelwoman501) <a href="https://twitter.com/angelwoman501/status/1892726371849310317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Elon Musk, the billionaire tasked with slashing US federal government spending, took to the stage at a conservative conference outside Washington with a gift from Argentina&#39;s libertarian President Javier Milei: a chainsaw <a href="https://t.co/FaLbmPS4yG">https://t.co/FaLbmPS4yG</a> <a href="https://t.co/2x0rjGq2Sj">pic.twitter.com/2x0rjGq2Sj</a>
&mdash; Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1892892031141499256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Musk <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/20/elon-musk-waives-chainsaw-before-giving-doge-update-at-cpac/79352970007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commented</a> on why he had decided to throw in with the Republican Party, saying, “I thought we were sort of heading to a point of no return, really. And so that&#8217;s why it was so essential that President Trump won the election and that there be a Republican majority in the House and Senate, which, thanks to you, has been accomplished.”
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“We need to restore the fundamental elements of what made America great, which is freedom and opportunity,” he said, adding later, “We&#8217;re fighting the matrix big time here. It&#8217;s got to be done.”
“I wasn&#8217;t really that interested in being political. It’s just like there was at a certain point no choice,” Musk <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/chainsaw-wielding-elon-musk-makes-dark-maga-appearance-javier-milei-cpac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “The actions that we’re taking, with the support of the president and the support of the agencies, is what will save Medicare, what will save Social Security. &#8230; That&#8217;s the reason I&#8217;m doing this. Because I was looking at the big picture here and it&#8217;s like, man, it&#8217;s getting out of control.”
“A country is no different from a person,” he continued. “Country overspends, a country goes bankrupt in the same way as a person who overspends usually goes bankrupt. So, it&#8217;s not like optional to solve these things, it&#8217;s essential.”
Criticizing the Biden administration’s actions on immigration, he stated, “You don&#8217;t actually have to assume some grand conspiracy, you just need to look at basic incentives. If the probability [is] that an illegal is going to vote Democrat at some point … then the incentive is to maximize the number of illegals in the country. That is why the Biden administration was pushing to get in as many illegals as possible and spent every dollar possible to get as many [as they could] because every one of them is a customer.”
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-javier-milei-gifts-elon-musk-a-chainsaw">WATCH: Javier Milei Gifts Elon Musk A Chainsaw</a>

Musk Waves Chainsaw At CPAC: ‘This Is The Chainsaw For Bureaucracy’

bureaucracy

Celebrities

Elon Musk

Javier Milei

Any and every American can make a difference in the direction of the country just by living a moral and meaningful life, according to Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro.
Shapiro addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday evening. During his remarks, he gave advice to everyday Americans who aren’t involved in politics or lack a platform such as his and The Daily Wire.
His advice: “The thing that is most important is to live a reality-based life, to be a model to our children, to be a model to our community, to build the social fabric that actually makes this country work.”
For much of his speech, Shapiro touted the accomplishments that President Donald Trump has already accumulated just weeks into his second term in office. But, Shapiro said, the real foundation and direction of the United States will be decided by millions of Americans continuing to lead purposeful lives focused on community and family.
Americans need to continue “to create the businesses to make the country function, to engage in everyday common virtue, because the truth is the country is not just built by President Trump,” Shapiro said. “We love President Trump. He&#8217;s doing an amazing job. He should continue to be healthy and well and continue to succeed day in and day out. We&#8217;re all praying for him, okay, but the country also runs because of the people who are doing the everyday things, whose names we don&#8217;t know.”
“All the people out there who are just living with their families and bringing up their kids in the correct fashion in a country that is growing and thriving,” he continued.
“On the day-to-day level, President Trump is clearing the field for you. He&#8217;s clearing the field for me. The Republicans, I hope, are going to do that. But then it&#8217;s our job to actually build. And that&#8217;s what we should be focused on – not just on politics over the next 4 years or 8 years or 20 years. We should be focused on the building because that project, that&#8217;s the project that never ends,” Shapiro said.
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Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro On How Anyone Can Change The Country: ‘Engage In Everyday Common Virtue’

The Daily Wire

Daily Wire personalities took the stage in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, capping off a schedule of high-powered conservative speakers during the first full day of the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
During their panel, Daily Wire hosts Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles, and Andrew Klavan, along with Daily Wire CEO Jeremy Boreing, celebrated the momentous start to the second Trump administration and revealed their favorite accomplishments in President Donald Trump’s first 30 days in office.
From obliterating radical gender ideology to making a mockery of the legacy media, the Trump administration has been firing on all cylinders, the Daily Wire hosts said.
Knowles began by praising the Trump administration for pardoning both the January 6 defendants, along with the nearly two dozen pro-life activists targeted by the Biden administration.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/daily-wire-backstage-live-at-cpac-the-fight-the-wins-the-future" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH ‘BACKSTAGE’ LIVE AT CPAC ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
“These are American heroes, these are deeply virtuous people, they were trampled on by their government — and Donald Trump rectified a major, major wrong. He deserves a lot of credit for it,” Knowles said of the pro-lifers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;These are American heroes, these are deeply virtuous people, they were trampled on by their government—and Donald Trump rectified a major, major wrong. He deserves a lot of credit for it.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@michaeljknowles</a> on the pardons for the pro-lifers who were unjustly imprisoned by Biden. <a href="https://t.co/mbpL3mV959">pic.twitter.com/mbpL3mV959</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1892721125420909030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Walsh then told the crowd his favorite thing about the new Trump administration is “basically the end of the trans agenda, of gender ideology in this country.”
“The fight continues because the people that advocate for this butchery and this insanity aren’t just going to go away,” Walsh said. “They’re going to find a way to keep victimizing kids, and so the fight will continue in that way, but with Donald Trump in just a few weeks, we’ve got banning men from women’s sports, we have putting an end to child castration in the hospitals, defining sex as man and woman.”
“It’s the beginning of the end of gender ideology in this country,” he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;With Donald Trump, in just a few weeks, we have:
&#8211; Banning men from women&#39;s sports &#8211; Putting an end to child castration in the hospitals &#8211; Defining sex as man and woman
&#8230;I think it&#39;s the beginning of the end of gender ideology.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattWalshBlog</a> <a href="https://t.co/w0f0YZ1I8P">pic.twitter.com/w0f0YZ1I8P</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1892723462646489121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Klavan went next, saying “the absolute decimation and destruction of the mainstream media” has “by far” been his “favorite thing about the Trump administration.”
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“The moment the results of the election came in, this blanket of peace passed over me because I realized what had happened — that we’d beaten them,” Klavan said. “It couldn’t have happened without Trump. It couldn’t have happened without us, too, and without all the Joe Rogans and the podcasters and small media that grew up suddenly and exposed them for what they were.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/andrewklavan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@andrewklavan</a>: &quot;By far, my favorite thing about the Trump administration has been the absolute decimation and destruction of the mainstream media.&quot; 👏 <a href="https://t.co/gQPyz5brKI">pic.twitter.com/gQPyz5brKI</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1892722197619241233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Shapiro praised Trump and his team for exposing the “extraordinary” amount of power that has “aggregated in the executive branch over the course of time.”
The Daily Wire editor emeritus said that for the past 100 years, the Democratic Party pushed for the executive branch of government to be the most powerful. “And then they basically said, Republicans can’t touch it. When we run it, we’ll run it and we’ll put permanent employees in place so that when you run it, you don’t run it,” Shapiro said of the Democrats’ strategy.
“And President Trump came in and he said, ‘No, no, no, you’ve given all this power to the executive branch, guess who’s the president now? It’s me.’”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;I think the most important thing that President Trump has done is he has exposed reality—which is that the amount of power that has aggregated in the executive branch over the course of time is extraordinary.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@benshapiro</a> <a href="https://t.co/tDdtyqbKAa">pic.twitter.com/tDdtyqbKAa</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1892724292862767185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Boreing said that Trump represents “disruption.”
“And it’s not even necessarily that I agree with every single one of Trump’s disruptions; it’s that I agree with the idea of the disruption itself that Trump represents,” Boreing added. “Because only through disruption do you shake things up from the status quo and create the actual opportunity for change.”

Screenshot: CPAC

Daily Wire Hosts Cap Off Opening Day Of CPAC With Special Edition Of ‘Backstage’

Andrew Klavan

Jeremy Boreing

Matt Walsh

Argentinian President Javier Milei gave Trump adviser Elon Musk a chainsaw backstage at CPAC in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
During his 2023 campaign, Milei held up a chainsaw during a political rally as he promised to cut government waste and address the country&#8217;s inflation crisis. Musk, who has been preaching a similar message in the U.S., has been advising President Donald Trump on areas to drastically cut government spending.
Milei posted a video on X of Musk receiving his gift, writing, &#8220;Llegó la motosierra a DOGE&#8230;!!! The Chainsaw has arrived at DOGE&#8230;!!!&#8221; Musk then posed with Milei while holding the chainsaw.
The chainsaw was emblazoned with the phrase, &#8220;VIVA LA LIBERTAD CARAJO,&#8221; which translates to &#8220;LONG LIVE FREEDOM, DAMN IT!&#8221; — Milei&#8217;s campaign slogan.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Llegó la motosierra a DOGE&#8230;!!! The Chainsaw has arrived at DOGE&#8230;!!!
VIVA LA LIBERTAD CARAJO Cc: <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a> <a href="https://t.co/jr7vwwGFKU">pic.twitter.com/jr7vwwGFKU</a>
&mdash; Javier Milei (@JMilei) <a href="https://twitter.com/JMilei/status/1892696188383547834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Musk later appeared on stage at CPAC wearing sunglasses and a black Make America Great Again hat. Shortly after he walked out on the stage, Musk was followed by Milei carrying the chainsaw.
&#8220;This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy!&#8221; Musk said, holding the power tool up in the air.
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Musk has been tasked by President Trump, along with the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to look into multiple government agencies and suggest major cuts or even complete agency overhauls. The White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-musk-is-not-the-doge-administrator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> earlier this week that Musk &#8220;is not the U.S. DOGE Service Administrator,&#8221; but &#8220;is a Senior Advisor to the President.&#8221; Musk, however, often touts DOGE&#8217;s work.
During a Q&amp;A at CPAC, Musk said, &#8220;DOGE started out as a meme, think about it,&#8221; referring to the Shiba Inu dog meme that became popular over a decade ago. &#8220;Now it&#8217;s real. Isn&#8217;t that crazy?&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re trying to get good things done, but also have a good time doing it,&#8221; Musk said. &#8220;And have, like, a sense of humor.&#8221;
On Wednesday, President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/just-getting-started-trump-dishes-on-doge-life-advice-and-tax-cuts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that DOGE has &#8220;already&#8221; saved over $55 billion, adding, &#8220;We’re just getting started.&#8221;

Elon Musk, Javier Milei

WATCH: Javier Milei Gifts Elon Musk A Chainsaw

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

General

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has tamped down expectations for sending out so-called &#8220;DOGE stimulus checks&#8221; to United States citizens, an idea that President Donald Trump appears to be entertaining.
Johnson was <a href="https://x.com/ThomasSowell/status/1892690859549725136" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressed</a> on the idea during a &#8220;fireside chat&#8221; with Newsmax anchor Rob Finnerty at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in the Washington, D.C., area on Thursday.
&#8220;The president said that a percentage of DOGE savings could maybe go back to the American people in the form of what he called DOGE stimulus checks, something like 20%. How would that work?&#8221; Finnerty asked.
&#8220;I mean, politically, that would be great for us, you know. Send everybody a check, &#8230; but if you think about our core principles, fiscal responsibility is what we do as conservatives. That&#8217;s our brand,&#8221; Johnson said.
The speaker continued, &#8220;And we have a $36 trillion federal debt. We have a giant deficit that we&#8217;re contending with. I think we need to pay down the credit card. Right? I think that&#8217;s what we need to do.&#8221;
During a summit in Miami on Wednesday, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/just-getting-started-trump-dishes-on-doge-life-advice-and-tax-cuts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mentioned</a> the possibility of sending out some of the money freed up via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort overseen by Elon Musk.
&#8220;There&#8217;s even under consideration a new concept where we give 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens and 20% goes to paying debt because the numbers are incredible, Elon,&#8221; Trump said.
Earlier in the week, Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1891967592048611532?s=46" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on his social media platform X that he would &#8220;check with&#8221; Trump in response to Azoria CEO James Fishback proposing a &#8220;DOGE Dividend&#8221; that comes in the form of a tax refund check.
Trump also said on Wednesday &#8220;we&#8217;re just getting started&#8221; after DOGE &#8220;saved&#8221; $55 billion in one month. He added later, &#8220;We will rapidly grow our economy by dramatically shrinking the federal government.&#8221;
Johnson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-cracked-the-code-for-defeating-the-deep-state-speaker-johnson-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke</a> approvingly of Musk and his work seeking to reduce federal spending through DOGE during an interview with Mark Levin, host of &#8220;Life, Liberty, and Levin&#8221; on Fox News, that aired Saturday night.
&#8220;The oversight job has been hindered because the deep state and the bureaucracy has not turned over the data. They wouldn&#8217;t give us the information we were seeking. We didn&#8217;t know all this because it was hidden,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;Now Elon has cracked the code. He is on the inside of the belly of the beast, Mark,&#8221; Johnson added. &#8220;And he is unveiling and revealing all these things that we knew intuitively were happening but we didn&#8217;t have the evidence.&#8221;
The speaker then emphasized, &#8220;This is a game changer. It is truly revolutionary and we&#8217;re going to restore ultimately through this process the federal government to the original intent of the Founders.&#8221;

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