Bulwark Takes CPAC Leaders Claim It’s “Packed”—The Footage Says Otherwise | MAGA Mondays
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Mar 30, 2026 They unpack why this year’s CPAC looked sparse and fractured, examining crowd claims and shifting attendee makeup. They map infighting across the right, from loyalty tests to pro/anti-Israel splits. They also follow Clavicular’s online persona, recent arrest, and the viral drama around livestreams and legal trouble.
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CPAC Has Lost Its Political Pulse
- CPAC's relevance has sharply declined and is now a waning institution rather than a GOP bellwether.
- Will Sommer points to sparse crowds, infighting, and Charlie Kirk/Turning Point USA eclipsing CPAC as evidence the conference is "over".
Reza Pahlavi Fueled CPAC Attendance Surges
- Foreign-looking energy at CPAC came from Iranian diaspora support for Reza Pahlavi rather than mainstream GOP constituencies.
- Pahlavi drew a packed room while typical Trump conservative sessions showed semi-empty rooms, skewing visuals.
CPAC Attendees No Longer Represent GOP Voters
- CPAC's attendee pool is increasingly unrepresentative, drawing longtime fans and niche online influencers rather than a broad conservative cross-section.
- Andrew Egger and Will Sommer note the event now attracts die-hard followers, weakening its claim as a GOP barometer.