Conservative Political Action Conference Chair Matt Schlapp told Newsmax the Republican Party’s 2026 strategy centers on running against the Democratic Party itself — not individual candidates.
Schlapp described today’s Democratic Party as “very, very fringy” in an interview on “The Record With Greta Van Susteren” Tuesday.
“That’s basically what every Republican is going to do, is run against this extreme Democratic Party.”
He pointed to Maine as a test case. GOP incumbent Sen. Susan Collins will face Democratic challenger Graham Platner, and Schlapp said Platner’s positioning plays directly into the Republican strategy.
“She likes to work with the other side, but she can’t work with the other side, the other party, if they’re nuts or if they’re irrational,” Schlapp said of Collins.
The CPAC chairman warned President Donald Trump to exercise caution with primary endorsements, noting that losses could diminish the value of his backing.
“Getting the Trump boost endorsement is a big, big, big, big deal,” Schlapp said. “I just think perhaps the White House ought to be just a tiny bit cautious because, you know, if you start to have some losses with these endorsements, it makes it a little less shiny.”
Schlapp also flagged California as evidence of conservative resurgence. He told Newsmax last week that the state’s jungle primary system — designed to favor Democrats — backfired after voters rejected progressive policies on crime, homelessness, wildfires, and taxes.
“And then something strange happened,” Schlapp said. “The voters of California said, we don’t like the fact that when there’s fires, there’s no water in the hydrants. We don’t like all the crime. We don’t like all the homelessness. We don’t like high taxes.”
Republican Steve Hilton won a spot in the state’s general election for governor.
“Out of nowhere, Republicans are having a resurgence in L.A. and in California,” Schlapp said.
