At CPAC 2026, young Republicans felt the Conservative Political Action Conference had become a relic of the Trump era. CPAC 2026 opened to sparse crowds and a subdued atmosphere, a stark contrast to the triumphant energy of 2022. Headline speaker Nick Shirley, a 23-year-old content creator, struggled to energize the mostly older audience. Outside the main hall, young attendees like Jack Moore (19) and Aiden Hoffses (19) debated Iran policy and criticized the conference's focus on MAGA talking points over substantive youth concerns.

They saw the party's core split as generational, feeling closer to liberal views on debt, healthcare, and foreign aid than to many fellow conservatives. Many young attendees expressed cautious optimism about midterms but aligned with figures like Nick Fuentes, who advocated voting Democrat over Trump's Iran policy. This generational alienation was underscored by the presence of MAGA merchandise aimed at older attendees, leaving many young conservatives feeling the movement had passed them by.