The US Conservative Political Action Conference has become as much a cultural marketplace as a political gathering, with activists, vendors and influencers turning grievance and identity into a booming ecosystem.
Conspiracy talk, sequined pro-Trump fashion and niche conservative businesses sit side by side at the four-day event in Texas, offering a window into a movement increasingly defined by culture as much as policy.
In CPAC Central, a cavernous hall packed with merchandise stalls two floors below the main stage, a far-right influencer whips up a crowd with talk of looming indictments of "Deep State" figures.
At the other end, three nuns from Chicago quietly chatter, favoring passers-by with beneficent smiles.
The juxtaposition is jarring -- and entirely normal here.
The attendees are such a mixed bunch that it can be hard to fathom what binds them beyond politics. Yet in this dense marketplace of ideas, identities and impulse buys, a shared sensibility quickly comes into focus.
- Merch, messaging and money -
If CPAC once served primarily as a forum for competing strands of conservative thought, it has evolved into something broader -- and more cohesive.
Politics here is not just debated. It is worn, sold, performed and shared. CPAC Central is part bazaar, part broadcast studio, part ideological showcase.
Vendors sell items ranging from Trump-themed cigars and $25 baseball caps to bank accounts and mobile phone plans pitched as alternatives to institutions accused of "canceling" conservatives.
A giant banner depicts a muscled Donald Trump as a Rambo-style action hero beneath the battle cry "Save America Again."
Nearby, racks of sequined jackets shimmer with slogans like "Make Heaven Crowded," worn by supporters well into their seventies who, for a few days at least, dress more like pop fans than retirees.
One group, the "Trump Tribe of Texas," moves through the hall in coordinated gold outfits, each member bearing a single letter that spells out the president's name when they line up.
There is even an arcade-style game, "Water Gun Fun" -- a reminder that at CPAC, politics is rarely presented without a layer of spectacle.
"It's about values -- good values, being ethical and having integrity," said Sandy Schoepke, a Trump supporter who is running a merchandise booth at her second CPAC, which is typically held in Washington but moved to the Dallas suburbs this year.
- 'The message resonates' -
For some vendors, CPAC offers something rarer than exposure: a captive audience.
"It's not often that everyone's gathered so concentrated," said Eric Ohlhausen, co-founder of Old Glory Bank, an online institution launched in response to what he sees as conservatives being "debanked" by traditional banks.
"We are an openly pro-America bank that promises not to cancel its customers for their views," he said.
His pitch -- financial services framed as free speech -- lands easily with a crowd that sees itself as culturally embattled.
"That message resonates... because this is the audience that has been so attacked by financial institutions," Ohlhausen said.
Elsewhere, John Adams -- who enjoys that he shares his name with the second US president -- oversees the stall for Liberty Cigar Company, selling toros, coronas and robustos in gift sets honoring Trump and other US presidents.
"Anything history-related, we're there," he told AFP. "Our mission is to tell America's magnificent story."
Many customers, he noted, head straight for the $13 Trump cigars regardless of their usual taste.
But he chuckled when asked about the speakers upstairs, revealing that he was far too busy to get involved in the actual politics of CPAC.
"In five years, I haven't seen a single speaker," he said.
- Culture as glue -
Beyond the merchandise, the hall doubles as a media ecosystem.
Podcast Row and Radio Row buzz with influencers broadcasting live, while smaller stages host a rotating cast of political personalities, including former British prime minister Liz Truss.
The effect is immersive: a feedback loop where political messaging is produced, consumed and reinforced in real time.
Even the products reflect that blend of identity and ideology.
A pro-gun yard sign warns: "Protected by FAFO — 24-hour surveillance — 2nd Amendment."
Nearby, stalls promote groups like Students for Life and the Alliance for Secure AI, alongside pro-Israel activists from Generation Zion.
The result is less a traditional conference than a cultural hub, one that both reflects and reinforces the modern conservative movement.
For attendees like Schoepke, that sense of belonging is as important as any speech from the main stage.
"I've built relationships with people. I've met such quality friends," she said.
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