CPAC Insider
From Dallas to Canberra: The Unity Lesson the Australian Right Can't Afford to Ignore
By Brodie Taylor - 2026 CPAC Global Explorer
The message coming from the CPAC stage was consistent - unite.
Not conform, this is the movement of free speech after all, but recognise that fighting each other only hands victory to our opponents.
With the 2026 US Midterms fast approaching, the Republican Party and its supporters need to be match-fit to keep control of Congress.
However, parts of the MAGA and conservative movements have slipped into bitter infighting.
This stems from differing opinions on the administration's decisions, like the Iran conflict, but also a very personal fight between leading online influencers in the conservative sphere.
Some of that infighting was on display on the main stage. Josh Hammer essentially made it the topic of his speech, taking swipes at Matt Gaetz and other parts of the right.
However, far more speakers focused on unity. Matt Gaetz being one of them
He took issue with a number of fellow conservatives but finished it by saying this: “I would walk across hot coals with them arm in arm to stop the Democrats”.
A key message from Matt and Mercedes Schlapp when opening the CPAC conference was on the need for the broad base of conservatives to unite and work together for the Midterms.
Michael Knowles and Matt Schlapp hosted a session called “Can’t We all Just Get Along”. They discussed the importance of celebrating the wins the right have accomplished and recognising that the threat against them is too great. That this moment is do or die.
The stakes for the upcoming Midterms are high.
The Republicans losing would create a massive legislative and political barrier for the Trump administration. There’s no doubt that the Democrats will begin their campaign of impeachments. This would cripple the continual achievements of the President.
Ultimately, the message was to recognise that the political enemy is not those inside the tent but those outside.
The right in Australia faces a similar situation.
The long line of political parties that sit on the right are all fighting each other, fighting over the same voters and letting the real ideological opponents get away unchecked.
The recent South Australian state election was a demonstration of this. The focus of right-wing parties was largely directed toward seats already held by non-Labor parties, all while SA Labor won its highest number of seats in its history. This was a spectacular failure for the conservative cause.
Each of the parties has its own approach to politics and attracts its own supporters, but failing to match the discipline of the left will see our cause lose time and time again.
On the first day of the conference, CPAC Australia's own Andrew Cooper made a very important point by saying: “The only way to change the policy is to change the government”.
CPAC may well provide the forum in Australia for achieving that unity, advancing our conservative values in government and our way of life.
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