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ORLANDO — An audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference heckled its hosts for urging them to wear masks after a series of speakers bashed the lockdowns in other states and criticized “authoritarian” coronavirus restrictions.
“I know this might sound like a little bit of a downer, but we also believe in property rights and this is a private hotel and we believe in the rule of law, so we need to comply with the laws of this county that we’re in,” said American Conservative Union (ACU) Executive Director Dan Schneider.
“You should still be wearing a mask,” added CPAC Director Carly Conley, as attendees began to boo and jeer. “If everyone can go ahead and work on that — I know, I know, it’s not the most fun.”
The conference, typically held near Washington, moved to Florida this year to take advantage of rules that allow large indoor gatherings. Most attendees have worn masks, some with ironic political messages, as they’ve walked the halls. To enter, they must take three-question health surveys and get their temperatures taken, and signs across the Hyatt Regency enforce mask rules and six-feet social distancing.
But a major theme in the conference’s first hours has been opposition to coronavirus lockdowns. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis touted how he’s kept schools open, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah criticized California for putting limits on church attendance and Ohio Senate candidate Josh Mandel attacked the “authoritarian” Republican governor of his own state.
“This deep state, if you will, is not just led by radical liberal governors like Gavin Newsom and Andrew Cuomo, but even squishy Republican governors like our governor, Mike DeWine, in Ohio,” said Mandel, a former state treasurer making his third bid for Senate. He said “bureaucrats and the politicians” used coronavirus to “trample on the liberty of families and small businesses.”
Mandel ended his speech by picking up a chant of “freedom” started by a man in the crowd, after which CPAC organizers came onstage to remind the crowd of the mask rule.
The speakers who condemned the lockdowns didn’t mention the pandemic itself or the 500,000 Americans who have died because of it.
