CPAC Crowd Cheers for Impeachment Hearings: ‘Wrong Answer’

UNITED STATES, March 27 — Conservative activist and lobbyist Matthew Schlapp drew an unexpected response Friday while addressing attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference ( CPAC ) in Texas . While speaking from the stage, Schlapp asked the audience how many people would like to see impeachment hearings. The question prompted loud cheers from the crowd, prompting Schlapp to respond it was not the answer he was seeking.

He repeated the question a second time, which resulted in a mix of applause and boos. As the Democrats eye a return to power in Congress in the midterms, questions remain over whether they would seek to impeach President Donald Trump as they did last time they held the House of Representatives. Schlapp appeared to acknowledge the reaction with humor, joking about the need for coffee among attendees before continuing with his remarks .

He then asked the crowd if they agree Republicans must keep their House majority, drawing cheers from the audience. The clip circulated across X, being viewed 423,000 times Friday afternoon. Some CPAC attendees have expressed frustration with Trump .

But Trump remains broadly popular with Republicans. A YouGov poll, which surveyed 1,665 adults from March 20-23, showed 82 percent of Republicans gave Trump positive marks, while only 12 percent disapprove of his job performance. Democrats have called for Trump's impeachment at several points during his second administration, including over the ongoing Iran war .

Republicans' slim House majority, however, has dimmed impeachment odds until at least after the midterms , when Democrats are hopeful about their chances of winning control of the House. ... While some on the left hope impeachment will happen next year, Democratic leadership has not committed to any impeachment plans at this point .

Trump was impeached twice during his first White House term and acquitted in the Senate both times, as a two-thirds majority of votes are required for conviction in the upper chamber. The first impeachment focused on his alleged efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden . The second came after the January 6, 2021, U.

S. Capitol riot when his supporters violently protested the 2020 election results. In December, Representative Al Green, a Texas Democrat, introduced articles of impeachment accusing Trump of abusing presidential power by allegedly calling for the “execution of members of Congress” in response to a video posted by several Democratic lawmakers.

That impeachment effort was opposed by 23 Democrats while an additional 47 voted "present. " House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar wrote in a statement at the time they believe impeachment a "sacred constitutional vehicle designed to hold a corrupt executive accountable for abuse of power, breaking the law and violating the public trust. " What Is CPAC?

CPAC is an annual gathering of conservative activists, political leaders, and elected officials from across the country, hosted by the American Conservative Union (ACU). The first CPAC was held in 1974, and it has since grown into one of the most prominent events in U. S.

conservative politics. This year, it is being held in Grapevine, Texas. Who Is Speaking at CPAC?

CPAC touted several prominent individuals speaking at their conference this year including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, reality star Todd Chrisley, former United Kingdom Prime Minister Liz Truss, Senator Rick Scott of Florida and several members of Congress among other conservative activists.

Update 3/27/26, 3:15 p. m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.