By Megan Carpentier
When it comes to the Trump administration’s diplomatic outreach to Russia — particularly in order to cooperate on combating Islamic State militants — the policy of engagement has been overshadowed by debate over motivations behind an alliance.
As with any political football, the back-and-forth about the personal and professional ties of President Trump’s inner circle to the Russian government has led some commentators to speculate that conservative activists are aligning with the president’s new policies and, by extension, with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
However, attendees at this week’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) outside of Washington, D.C. — the annual gathering of young activists, donors and policy wonks — have a more nuanced view of the administration’s outreach efforts.
