ORLANDO — Aside from K.T. McFarland’s bright yellow blazer, which was worn to “stand with Ukraine,” and a few brief mentions of praying for the besieged country before speakers plunged into their actual remarks, Day 1 of CPAC on Thursday largely ignored the target of President Putin’s aggression even as the invasion was turning bloody. 

The lineup of speakers included Senators Cruz, Hawley, and Blackburn, Governor DeSantis, and dozens more, including CPAC leaders. 

On the rare occasion when Ukraine was more than a passing line, it was to argue that defending Ukraine should not be a priority for America.

Charlie Kirk, the young conservative leader and radio talk show host, received raucous applause, including a standing ovation, for the following;

“Conservatives,” he argued passionately, “must get our priorities right. We must be very honest with each other and our leaders must be honest with you about what really matters.”  

What matters, he continued, is not Ukraine, but the fact that “we are $30 trillion in debt,” and that “we have the most suicidal, alcohol-addicted, drug-addicted generation in history.”

Mr. Kirk made clear he wasn’t “defending the actions of dictators,” but complained that he doesn’t want to hear “lectures about why we need to send our troops halfway across the world when we are being invaded.”

On that line, the crowd leapt to its feet and exploded with cheers. 

Mr. Kirk is the head of Turning Points USA, a conservative student movement that claims “a presence on over 3,000 high school and college campuses nationwide, over 250,000 student members, and over 450 full- and part-time staff all across the country.” 

He was also the youngest speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention and chaired Students for Trump in 2020.