CPAC 2021- Remarks by David McIntosh

Good morning, CPAC! Good morning. I am David McIntosh, president of the Club for Growth. We're the largest conservative political machine. We raised over 100 million last cycle, and we won 85 percent of our races to elect good freedom candidates to Congress. I've been fighting for conservative causes all of my life. I co-founded the Federalist Society when I was studying under Antonin Scalia. I worked for Ronald Reagan in my 20s, and I was one of the freshmen in 1994 that won the majority for Republicans in Congress. So I know how to win! You, all of you here at CPAC, you are the leaders and the future leaders of our country. And today I want to talk to you from my heart about where we go now and what we have to do to win elections in the future. This won't be your typical CPAC speech full of red meat, because my message is straightforward. We must unite around the principles of freedom, and then America will return us to Washington to lead this country. We must stop letting the left and the media goad us into fighting with each other. Instead, we must turn all of our attention to stopping the Socialist Democrats' march on Washington. Yes, we have to unite and fight. Americans will be with us. They never signed up for their agenda. They never signed up for huge tax increases. They never signed up for the government controlling your health care. They never signed up for eliminating all the jobs in the oil and gas industry. They never signed up for their radical culture that disrespects Americans and our patriotism and calls us deplorable. But to win this battle, conservatives must bring together two different elements of our coalition. On the one hand, conservatives have fought for decades since my old boss, Ronald Reagan, and before for the immutable principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of the American dream. We're for lower taxes. We're for freedom, so Americans can live how they want, work where they want, and follow their dreams. On the other hand, we have millions of Americans who never engaged in politics, but they followed Donald Trump, because he made bold promises and fought for those promises when too many Republicans were far too timid. Part of our conservative coalition is made up, this part of it, is made up of the working men and women of America, who the Republican Party often has ignored and sometimes looked down on. They love our country. We love our country. They stand for our flag, and they kneel for their God. They raise their children with the hope of a better future, and they live and die and sacrifice so that we will forever be the land of the free and the home of the brave. So how did this billionaire real estate developer out of New York City, how did he win the loyalty of working Americans across our country? He promised to do things, things that had never been done, cut their taxes, rein in Washington, slash red tape, create good jobs right here in America, stand up to China, move our embassy to Jerusalem. He promised to make America great. And he fought for those promises, and he never apologized for what he believes. What a refreshing response to the cancel culture on the left. Yes. In fact, I believe this is a critical lesson all of us have to learn. First, we have to make promises. Talk straight to the American people. Tell them what we believe in. Tell them why it's good for them and their children. And then fight for them. You might not win every battle, but at least try to win every battle. And finally, keep our promises. Because when they know we'll keep our promises, they'll follow us, they'll trust us, and they'll let us lead America. So now it falls on all of you, all of you who are the leaders and the future leaders of our country, to bring these two elements together. When we combine the conservative principles of the Republican Party with the boldness of Donald Trump, we will win, and we will win to restore this country to the greatness that it always has been. Now this means, thank you, this means that each part of our coalition must lead in its own fashion. Our party leaders have to speak the truth and point the way to freedom and justice for all Americans. And the American people, they'll lead by holding together our families, our churches, our communities, and teaching our children the truth that America is a great country and has been blessed for freedom and opportunity for all people. We have to resist those who claim that they only want to lead part of that coalition. Liz Cheney is wrong when she said President Trump doesn't have a part in the Republican Party. Similarly, Josh Hawley, I think, was wrong when he abandoned free market principles and called on the government to subsidize 75% of Americans' wages. If we did that, we'd all be working for government in Washington and they would have our freedom. We can't allow our leaders to abandon the principles of freedom to pursue populist political ambitions. Our movement has to stick to those principles and welcome the Trump voters who want to see us fight for America. Thank you. We have no time to waste. For two centuries, America has been blessed with the culture of freedom and a constitution grounded in liberty. Since our foundings, Americans have been free to speak our minds. But not today. The Democrats want to take away that freedom. Since our foundings, Americans have been able to work where they want to and keep their earnings to make choices for their families. But not today. They want to eliminate entire sectors, millions of jobs. Since our founding, Americans have cherished the right to vote in free and democratic elections. But today, fewer and fewer people have faith in our election system. And the liberals cry foul if you say we have to have election integrity. Today, conservatives must confidentially, boldly unite to restore our constitution and the liberty it guarantees. We stand for the First Amendment. We stand for the Bill of Rights. We stand for the Second Amendment. We stand for freedom. And we'll take that message to all Americans with a hope for a better future. And when we do, we will bless Americans, those who agree with us, those who don't, will be brought along in America that once again is a great country with a bright future. It won't be easy. So I call on each of you today. You, the leaders of our country, the leaders of our movement, I call on you to unite. Harness the strength and the resolve of the American people and lead this country once more into a future where everyone is free to follow their dreams. Thank you. God bless you.