At the largest annual gathering of conservative activists and leaders in the United States, the BBC set out to answer a pressing question facing the modern American right: Does former President Donald Trump truly meet the defining political and policy challenges of the moment for U.S. conservatives?
The event, which draws thousands of movement leaders, grassroots organizers, and elected officials from across the country, served as the ideal backdrop to probe how Trump’s core stances align with the priorities of the conservative base. To get on-the-ground insight, BBC correspondents spoke directly to dozens of Trump’s supporters in attendance, asking for their views on three of the most contentious issues shaping U.S. conservative politics today: tensions with Iran, the state of the domestic economy, and immigration policy.
These three topics have long been fault lines in American conservative politics, and they remain central to debates over the direction of the Republican Party heading into upcoming electoral cycles. For many conservatives, evaluating how Trump addresses these issues is key to determining whether he is the right standard-bearer for the movement moving forward. The on-the-record conversations with attendees at this major conservative convening offered unfiltered insight into how the president’s backers believe he measures up to the challenges that matter most to the right.