The Conservative Political Action Convention is being held at Grapevine’s Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center from March 25 to March 28, 2026.
Rachel Royster
rroyster@star-telegram.com
Saturday is the final day of CPAC in Grapevine, with headliners like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. set to address the crowd from the main stage.
The gathering of conservatives from across the world is being held at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center. The second full day of programming ended with a dinner featuring Attorney General Ken Paxton, who’s facing Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the May GOP runoff for U.S. Senate.
Follow along for updates throughout the day.
RFK Jr. closes out CPAC in Grapevine
4:36 p.m. “MAHA” – Make American Healthy Again – was front and center when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. addressed CPAC attendees Saturday.
He was the last speaker of the day, ending the main programing for the conservative conference that began earlier this week.
During the conversation, Kennedy was asked to offer advice to parents. In response, he warned of the “threats” of cellphones and social media. He praised efforts to restrict cell phone use in schools.
Kennedy was also asked about his famous last name and his shift from a Democrat to a Republican to a member of President Donald Trump’s administration.
He said views that once aligned with the Democratic Party no longer did when Democrats changed their positions.
“It came very clear to me that the only thing that was holding them together was their hatred of Donald Trump,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy said Trump is “exactly the opposite” of everything he believed the president to be.
“He has an instinct for making good choices,” he said.
CPAC releases polling on Donald Trump approval, Texas’ U.S. Senate race and more
3:18 p.m. On Saturday afternoon, CPAC announced the results of a straw poll of attendees.
A survey of 1,180 Texans voters showed that 67% of those polled prefer Paxton to Sen. John Cornyn in the May Republican runoff for U.S. Senate.
Among the other results:
President Donald Trump received 96% approval among CPAC attendees.Vice President JD Vance received 92% approval among CPAC attendees.Asked about their preferred candidate in a 2028 GOP primary for president, 53% of those polled favored Vance and 35% favored Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The poll also found that 88% of respondents agreed with the statement that “many supposed conservative leaders and influencers are creating unnecessary controversy and division in the MAGA movement in order to get attention and make money which will hurt the conservative movement, President Trump and real MAGA conservatives in November’s political elections.”
Sen. Ted Cruz blasts Democrats during CPAC speech
1:37 p.m. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Democrats should have to do “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” style filibusters as the Senate debates the SAVE America Act.
Among its provisions, the legislation would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.
“When they talk and talk and talk and can’t talk anymore, when we will pass the SAVE American Act,” Cruz said.
The senator discussed jobs, tax cuts, school choice, investment accounts for children, immigration, foreign policy and freedom in the wide-raging speech.
“The Democratic Party is the party of rich costal elites,” Cruz said. Describing Democrats as “leftists sipping soy lattes with their pinkies in the air.”
Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi speaks at CPAC
12:56 p.m. Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi was met with cheers and a standing ovation as he took the CPAC stage Saturday afternoon.
“The only path to lasting peace and stability was through a clean break with the regime,” Reza said. “For the first time in 47 years, President Trump’s strategy has given us a real chance to achieve that outcome.”
Discourse around the American and Israeli-led war in Iran has been front-and-center at CPAC. At points throughout the conference, attendees have broken out in chants of “Thank you, Trump.”
Many in attendance have called for Pahlavi to serve as the leader of Iran.
Pahlavi addressed the desire to see him the leadership role during his remarks.
“I have accepted that call not to serve myself but to serve my nation and my people,” he said.
Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi speaks at CPAC on March 28. Eleanor Dearman Ken Paxton holds CPAC meet and greet
11:55 a.m. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton mingled with CPAC attendees during a Saturday morning meet and greet. Paxton is in a May runoff against U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and was endorsed by CPAC from the main stage on Saturday later in the day, after the meet and greet.
Paxton called for the passage of the SAVE America Act and made claims of election fraud before taking photos with a line of people waiting to meet the U.S. Senate candidate.
“This issue is more important than the filibuster,” Paxton said.
Elaine Juezan from Borne came to the event knowing she was a Paxton supporter.
Juezan didn’t claim to be an expert on the race, but said that based on what she’s heard, Cornyn isn’t as strong of a Republican candidate. She sees the long term senator as “complacent.”
Paxton on the other hand is “still on fire,” she said. She predicted that the attorney general has a better chance of beating Democratic nominee, state Rep. James Talarico, in the November general election.
Vilma Moreno from Lewisville said she voted for Cornyn in March, but that she’s seen many at CPAC behind the attorney general’s bid and now plans to support Paxton.
But President Donald Trump’s endorsement would be influential, she said. The president hasn’t waded into the race.
Moreno said she’d vote for Cornyn if Trump said he was the best candidate to support.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton held a meet and greet at CPAC on March 28. Eleanor Dearman
Cornyn, who isn’t scheduled to speak at CPAC, has highlighted allegations of infidelity and corruption that have surrounded the embattled attorney general .Paxton is getting a divorce from his wife Sen. Angela Paxton, a McKinney Republican.
One man at the Saturday meet-and-greet, Trimaan Malik, wore a #TeamAngela shirt.
He said the shirt is a “joke.”
“But there’s only one Angela people know of in this room,” Malik said. “Use that to make your own interpretation.”
Traveling to Texas from Las Vegas, Malik said he doesn’t have a dog in the fight.
“But I prefer attorney generals who are not always in scandals every five minutes,” he said.
Juezan said she’s more interested in candidates’ accomplishments than their personal lives.
Catch up on CPAC coverage from Grapevine:
Thursday: Everything that happened on first day; Franklin Graham, Iran war
Friday: Texas Gov. Abbott, Mike Lindell, Steve Bannon take the stage
This story was originally published March 28, 2026 at 10:03 AM.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years.
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