'Divide among men above and under 35': CPAC highlights generational GOP split

The Conservative Political Action Conference this year revealed a generational fault line within the Republican Party, with younger men abandoning Trump support while older men remain solidly behind him, according to Todd Belt, director of George Washington University's Political Management Program. Trump's absence from CPAC for the first time in nearly a decade underscored the fracture, even as discussions of the Iran war and other issues centered on him and his influence. Belt cited polling data showing men under 35 have shifted away from Trump, contrasting sharply with men over 35 who maintain firm support—a split he characterized as destabilizing party unity. The divergence suggests the GOP faces internal challenges mobilizing its younger male voters heading into future elections, a demographic traditionally considered core to Republican strength.