CPAC Crowd Cheers for Trump Impeachment — Twice — Stunning the Host
At the most pro-Trump event in conservative politics, CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp asked "How many of you would like to see impeachment hearings?" The crowd cheered. He asked again. They cheered again. "NOOO! That was the wrong answer."
On March 26, 2026, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine, Texas, CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp posed what he intended as a rhetorical warning: "How many of you would like to see impeachment hearings?" — meaning to illustrate the threat of Democrats winning the midterms.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Schlapp, visibly stunned, responded: "No, that was the wrong answer." He asked the question a second time. The crowd cheered again. Schlapp exclaimed "NOOO!" and joked, "Can someone bring some coffee out?" before quickly pivoting to a safer question about keeping the Republican House majority.
The incident was significant beyond the comedy:
- CPAC is the most pro-Trump gathering in American conservatism. For its crowd to cheer for impeachment — even accidentally — is deeply embarrassing.
- Trump skipped CPAC 2026 for the first time in nearly a decade — itself a sign of weakness
- Attendees were reportedly "unusually disengaged and divided" compared to prior years
- One young attendee told CNN that many fellow Trump supporters now "can't stand the guy"
- The video went viral, reaching 423,000+ views on X by Friday afternoon
Whether the crowd was confused, reflexive, or expressing genuine sentiment, the moment captured something real: even at CPAC, the enthusiasm is fracturing.