CPAC Sign Complains Domestic Violence Definition Is Ruining Families

A display seemingly complaining that the definition of domestic violence is negatively impacting nuclear families was photographed at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C.

Dubbed as the most influential gathering of conservatives both in the United States and abroad, the event concludes Saturday and features speakers including former President Donald Trump, Representatives Elise Stefanki and Jim Jordan, Senator J.D. Vance, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, former Representative Tulsi Gabbard, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and more.

American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp on Wednesday defended CPAC's denial to provide media passes to "left-wing" journalists, instead forcing them to purchase tickets to the event that has reportedly experienced decreased attendance throughout its first two days.

Eric Michael Garcia, a reporter for The Independent and an MSNBC columnist, posted a photo Friday on X, formerly Twitter, taken at CPAC showing a sign decrying "Nuking the nuclear family."

The image includes multiple apparent criticisms of domestic violence and/or domestic violence-related laws, including the following verbatim statements:

• Overly broad definitions of domestic violence
• Restraining orders issued without evidence of abuse
• False allegations
• Biased arrest policies
• Presumption of guilt
• Ignoring the science that DV [domestic violence] is an equal opportunity problem"

Newsweek reached out to CPAC via email for comment.

"It's disheartening to see this kind of harmful disinformation about domestic violence in any venue," Esta Soler, president and founder of Futures Without Violence, told Newsweek.

Futures Without Violence is a nonprofit organization with offices in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Boston that is involved in community-based programs and public policy work around domestic violence.

"Put simply, none of it is true," Soler added. "We should be working together to stop domestic and sexual violence, not reinforcing tired, disproven, divisive myths that have no connection to reality.

"Fortunately, there is consensus across political ideologies that we need solutions and bipartisan support for investments in prevention and survivor services."

Domestic violence typically refers to deliberate harm committed against someone in a relationship. It includes physical, psychological, verbal, financial, cultural, and sexual abuse and can also extend to children, relatives, or others in a household.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline told Newsweek via email that the movement to end domestic violence has been accused by some of being intent on breaking up families.

They said "that dangerous and false narrative perpetuated at the CPAC conference" today.

"This misinformation is incredibly harmful to survivors and those working to end domestic violence in this country," said Crystal Justice, chief executive affairs officer of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. "Survivors need more protection, not less, and to state such false information is downright dangerous.

"As someone who needed a protection order, I can tell you it can be one of the hardest things to obtain from the legal system. But I truly believe it saved my life."

Nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States, equating to more than 10 million women and men in the span of one year, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

That includes one in three women and one in four men experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner, and one in four women and one in seven men being victims of severe physical violence (such as beating, burning, strangling, etc.) by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

Domestic violence increased globally from 25 to 33 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Emergency Assistance Foundation.

"Every survivor should know that they are not alone and they deserve better," President Joe Biden said in October during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. "Together, we will keep spreading awareness, changing culture, supporting survivors, and moving toward a world free of gender-based violence."

Anyone seeking help should call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, a free and confidential hotline available 24/7. It can be reached on 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1-800-787-3224. The hotline also provides information on local resources. For more information visit thehotline.org.

Update 02/23/24 5:08 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the National Domestic Violence Hotline.