Senator Banks at CPAC: The Era of Exploiting America is Over

Jim Banks, Republican senator from Indiana, began his speech at the large CPAC conference in Washington on Thursday, February 2, referencing that he had just come from the confirmation hearing for Kash Patel as the new FBI director, which received applause from the audience. Mr. Banks stated, "Today is a historic day," marking one month since Donald Trump's presidency began and the start of America's golden era. He added that during this time, we witnessed part of the Trump administration's battle against corruption and bureaucracy, illegal immigration, and securing America, stating: "Our enemies and allies have realized that the era of exploiting America is over." Senator Banks also described the hatred some individuals within America have for the country and its values as a "challenging reality," saying this ideology questions everything that gives America its greatness. He praised Donald Trump's efforts to create a new coalition of Republicans against policies that he claims have disheartened the American people, stating: "The old Republican Party is dead." This Republican senator further added that the new coalition stands against government bureaucracy and Wall Street and acts in the interests of Americans. Jim Banks criticized the Biden administration's programs related to "diversity, equity, and inclusion," which he claimed had polluted the political system, saying that the U.S. armed forces were spending their time and budget on social research, adding: "Does this matter to China? No." In another part of his speech on the first day of this year's Republican political action conference or CPAC, he said that as a veteran, he could say that focusing on "diversity, equity, and inclusion" does not have a strategic advantage. Senator Banks called for Congress to turn Trump's executive orders into permanent laws. The 2025 CPAC conference is hosting the highest-ranking figures of the current U.S. government, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, senior senators, and other officials. The three-day conference is chaired by James David Vance, the Vice President of the United States. It is expected that President Donald Trump will also speak at this three-day conference on Saturday, February 4. It is reported that the main focus of this year's CPAC speeches will be on Donald Trump's victory in the November presidential election in the U.S. Elon Musk, head of the Government Productivity Organization, Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Pam Bondi, Attorney General of the United States, and Tom Homan, special border affairs advisor of the Trump administration, are among the announced speakers of the CPAC conference.