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GRAPEVINE, Texas — <\/span>A generational divide over the Iran war surfaced Thursday between older attendees and their political heirs at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference<\/a>, as the group’s leaders pleaded for unity in a challenging midterm<\/a> election year for Republicans. <\/p>\n Younger conservatives spoke of disappointment and even \u201cbetrayal\u201d over President Donald Trump\u2019s launch of strikes against Iran<\/a>, saying in interviews with The Associated Press that the president’s actions run counter to his many pledges to oppose foreign entanglements. <\/p>\n Meanwhile, older conservatives were looking past Trump\u2019s campaign criticism of military action to topple foreign regimes, arguing the war in Iran is a pragmatic act forced by threats to the United States. <\/p>\n The bright dividing line emerged in conversations with a dozen participants on either end of the age spectrum who gathered for the annual meeting of conservatives, being held outside Dallas. That split could reflect flagging enthusiasm for Trump among some younger voters, a potentially troubling sign for Republicans heading into midterm elections and for the conservative movement as it looks to build beyond Trump\u2019s tenure. <\/p>\n \u201cWe did not want to see more wars. We wanted actual America-first policies, and Trump was very explicit about that,\u201d said Benjamin Williams, a 25-year-old marketing specialist for Young Americans for Liberty. \u201cIt does feel like a betrayal, for sure.\u201d <\/p>\n Williams, from Austin, Texas, worries about his friends in the military, especially his Air Force officer brother. More broadly, he sees the war as an unnecessary disruption to the stability in the Middle East that could have long-term negative effects on the U.S. economy. <\/p>\n \u201cTrump’s rhetoric was very important for people of my generation,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n Auburn University sophomore Sean O\u2019Brien\u2019s support for Trump has slipped, especially with talk of sending U.S. troops into the Middle East. \u201cI\u2019m not happy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Sending troops into Iran, he said, \u201cwould be full betrayal.\u201d<\/p>\n In light of the U.S. military preparing to deploy at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division<\/a> to the Middle East in the coming days, O\u2019Brien said, \u201cThat\u2019s what keeps me up at night.\u201d <\/p>\n Older CPAC participants were far more forgiving, describing Trump as wisely responsive to what they described as the threat Iran posed. Several, in fact, suggested Trump did not initiate the war, but that Iran had decades ago. <\/p>\n \u201cI don’t believe he started a new war. He was acting in response to a 40-year-old war by Iran,\u201d said 70-year-old retired defense contractor Joe Ropar of McKinney, Texas. \u201cHow long were we supposed to wait? I think he did what he had to do when he had to do it.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cDo nothing? I\u2019m not on board with that,\u201d Ropar said. <\/p>\n Echoing a common theme from older participants, Kelle Phillips said Trump’s decision was a pragmatic reaction to a real threat that overrules the best hopes of campaign rhetoric. <\/p>\n \u201cYou campaign on what you want to do and then the world’s dynamics happen,\u201d said Phillips, a 61-year-old author and religious instructor from Frisco, Texas. \u201cI think the difference is if you have someone in the Iranian regime who wants to destroy America. You can\u2019t reason with them.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump’s goals in Iran, as James Scharre believes, are short-term and not a concern for those adverse to a long slog overseas.<\/p>\n Scharre, 61, also interprets Trump’s early campaign opposition to government overthrow as a preference, not an ironclad promise. <\/p>\n “I think he said he was against it,” he said. \u201cTrump is a wise leader. He does what works. And I’m for it.\u201d <\/p>\n Cracks in the conservative coalition began appearing early in the war, led by influential opinion leaders like podcaster Tucker Carlson. <\/p>\n This month, Joe Kent,<\/a> the director of the Center for Counterterrorism at the Department of Homeland Security, quit his Trump administration post, saying in his departure statement that \u201cI cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran” and that \u201cIran posed no imminent threat to our nation.\u201d <\/p>\n Right-wing podcaster Steve Bannon, who is expected to speak at CPAC, has worried aloud that a protracted Mideast military engagement would cost Republicans support by pushing some conservatives to sit out the November midterms. <\/p>\n This comes at a time when Republicans’ hold on the U.S. House is in jeopardy and the GOP’s thin Senate majority is not as secure as it was a year ago. <\/p>\n