Hoping to restrain the ideological civil war in their own midst, Republican leaders begged grass-roots conservatives Thursday to rally to the party and warned of apocalyptic consequences if Hillary Clinton wins the White House.
Kicking off the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, elected Republican officials and leaders of top conservative organizations said they need to focus not on the fierce battle within the GOP, but on the opponent who likely awaits in November.
“She hates the Second Amendment. She hates us. And she’s coming after every single bit of our freedom,” said Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president and CEO of the National Rifle Association.
Sen. David Perdue, Georgia Republican, said any competing factions need to unify behind the singular goal of stopping Mrs. Clinton.
“The stakes are too high for us to not make a difference right now for our country,” Mr. Perdue said. “No matter who your presidential candidate is, no matter who our nominee is, we cannot allow Hillary Rodham Clinton one more night in our White House.”
But it’s not clear how effective the pleas will be, with the Republican primary still raging among businessman Donald Trump, the current front-runner, Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. All of them are slated to speak Friday and Saturday at CPAC, where they will have a chance to make their cases directly.
SEE ALSO: CPAC: NRA Wayne LaPierre to Hillary Clinton: Come after gun lobby? ‘Bring it on’
But Mr. Trump’s past pro-choice stance, and his lack of a track record of conservative political accomplishments, left many activists at CPAC nonplussed.
“He is a clown,” said Brian Merritt of Tennessee. “I don’t have anything against him whatsoever. He is just not right for a conservative Republican Party.”
Mr. Merritt is backing Mr. Cruz — a popular choice among CPAC attendees, including Heather Knopp of Virginia, who said she has been a “Cruz fan” since his 2013 filibuster that helped force Republicans into the shutdown showdown over Obamacare.
“I will never vote for that man,” Ms. Knopp said, adding that she would write in Mr. Cruz’s name on the ballot. “I am not the only one. I know lots and lots of people that are doing the same thing.”
Conservatives are still debating the legacy of five years of Republican control of the House, coupled with a year of a Republican majority in the Senate.
Mr. Trump argues that Republicans have failed to deliver on their promises and have allowed — or at times enabled — President Obama’s agenda.
Sen. Ben Sasse, a first-term Nebraska Republican who has taken a leadership role in the anti-Trump movement, acknowledged to CPAC that recent times have not been good for the party.
“It’s been a bad seven years for the Republican Party. It’s been a bad seven years for conservatism. But even more importantly than that, it’s been a real bad period for those of us who believe deeply, who cherish, who love the American idea,” he said.
Although he didn’t blast Mr. Trump from the stage Thursday, he urged conservatives to be mindful of the candidate they choose.
“You need to hear from your presidential candidates someone that you would want to sit at the dinner table with your children and extol forth the virtues of an America that is about the greatness of 320 million Americans, not the powers of the federal bureaucracy,” Mr. Sasse said.
Sen. Thom Tillis, North Carolina Republican, disputed the notion that the party is in disarray. He said he expects the GOP to close ranks once the nomination is settled.
He has endorsed Mr. Rubio but said he has friends who have endorsed Mr. Trump and Mr. Cruz.
“Put on your jerseys now, fight a good fight,” he said. “But then when the primary is over and we have a nominee, does anyone here think that any candidate on their worst day isn’t eons better than Hillary Clinton on her best day?”
Mrs. Clinton, who has a giant lead over Sen. Bernard Sanders in the race for delegates to the Democratic nominating convention, has pivoted to general election mode and is taking aim at Mr. Trump.
Republican leaders at CPAC repeatedly tried to bring the election conversation back to Mrs. Clinton, who they said would continue the Obama agenda.
“We cannot afford to have a president — or those who have served in his administration — whose wayward policies in the Middle East have led to the strengthening of terrorists,” said Sen. Joni Ernst, Iowa Republican. “Now is the time to stand up and make our voices heard — each one of you.”
John R. Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, blasted Mrs. Clinton’s “cowardice” in her response to the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, and said her own security lapses mean she can’t be trusted to keep the United States safe.
“The point here is clear: Hillary Clinton is a threat to national security roughly equivalent to Barack Obama,” Mr. Bolton said. “And the greatest proof of that threat is her utter, total disdain for the protection of classified information entrusted to her as secretary of state.”
A House select committee’s investigation into the Benghazi attack led to the revelation of a secret email server and account that Mrs. Clinton used exclusively as secretary of state — an issue that has consistently dogged her presidential campaign.
“Forget the political spin. Hillary is in deep legal jeopardy — and she should be,” Mr. Bolton said.
Also speaking to CPAC on Thursday was former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who is seeking the presidential nomination for the Libertarian Party.
Mr. Johnson told conservatives that he is a better option for them than candidates in the Republican field.
“Google me — Gary Johnson,” he said. “If you’re serious about reducing the size and scope of government, I’m your guy.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.