Pence urges conservatives to 'defend' Trump accomplishments


              Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), at National Harbor, Md., Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018.  Pence said that in a meeting with governors at the White House Monday, they and Trump will “make the safety of our nation’s schools and our students our top national priority.” (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), at National Harbor, Md., Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018. Pence said that in a meeting with governors at the White House Monday, they and Trump will “make the safety of our nation’s schools and our students our top national priority.” (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) - Donald Trump's candidacy jumbled the conservative movement. But more than a year into his presidency, the onetime Democrat holds what seems to be a near-total grip.

The largest annual gathering of conservatives has all the looks of a Trump festival, with Republican critics shut out from the event outside the nation's capital.

Vice President Mike Pence has addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference, and he's offered a defense of the Trump agenda and tried to rally activists for the fall elections.

Pence tells the crowd: "Your president and I need you to show up." He's appealing them to "defend all that we've accomplished."

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