Lies about election fraud, the focus of last year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, have been an afterthought for the opening days of this year’s four-day affair. Some high-profile speakers distanced themselves from Trump’s approving rhetoric toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched an invasion of Ukraine shortly before the gathering. Some didn’t mention Trump’s name.

Instead, those most likely to seek the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in 2024 rallied in favor of more parental control of schools, railed against any mention of systemic racism and rejected pandemic-related mandates.

The unified message from more than a half-dozen top elected officials, delivered to thousands of mostly white activists at an annual event event not known for moderation, will be tested when Trump delivers the keynote address Saturday night. But with momentum heading toward the 2022 midterms, Republicans are increasingly optimistic they have found a forward-looking strategy to expand the GOP’s appeal and win back women and independents who fled the party during Trump’s presidency.