The On Wednesday, the 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference kicks off with an impressive lineup that suggests that it will be a unapologetic celebration for President Trump.
This year’s list of CPAC speakers will include all three of the official candidates in the 2024 Republican primary — the former governor of South Carolina and ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley; activist Vivek Ramaswamy; and Mr. Trump. Only Mr. Trump has a path to the nomination out of these three potential candidates.
Although the conference offers candidates a chance to prove that they can compete with the ex-president, the candidate will almost be his only critic.
The bill’s absentee is Ron DeSantis (the governor of Florida), who is likely to run for the Republican nomination in 2024 and is, according to polls, the strongest challenger to Donald Trump.
While Republicans and Conservative Activists gather in National Harbor, Maryland to set the tone for the conservative movement’s future, Mr. DeSantis is going after his own agenda.
He was addressed by Mr. DeSantis. CPAC Last year, he visited donors in Texas, California, and will promote his latest book Tuesday. “The Courage to Be Free.”
Others scheduled speakers are Senators Cruz and Vance and Representatives Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz as well as Marjorie Taylor Green and Ronny Jackson. Scott Perry and Jim Jordan also have to speak.
Here are some highlights of a draft agenda obtained The Epoch Times includes a talk about “How to Rile Up Conservatives” Titles for speeches and addresses “Big Tech – Break ‘em Up, Bust ‘em Up, Put ‘em in Jail,” “The New Axis of Evil: Soros, Schwab, and Fink,” “They Stole it From Us Legally.”
There will also be others from Mr. Trump’s orbit, like a former White House press secretary, Sean Spicer; a Trump housing secretary, Ben Carson, a Truth Social executive, Devin Nunes, Mr. Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., and his fiancé, Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former San Francisco prosecutor.
A failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate and who is a vocal proponent of claims that the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen, Kari Lake, will be speaking at Friday’s Reagan dinner.
“I’m speaking at CPAC this year, I’m really excited, you know CPAC is just a great place for conservatives to come together,” Ms. Lake spoke to reporters. “I’m a big believer that the majority of Americans are conservatives.”
Vice President Pence declined to accept his invitation. He declined his invitation to the conference in 2022, 2021.
The conference’s leadership has been caught up in scandal this year with sexual assault allegations against them. CPAC’s organizer, Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union.
A Republican staffer from football star Herschel Walker’s unsuccessful 2022 Senate bid in Georgia filed a lawsuit in January alleging that, without consent, Mr. Schlapp “began aggressively fondling Mr. Doe’s genital area in a sustained fashion” Following a dinner, they were joined by their two male companions.
Schlapp denies the allegations and says that an anonymous complaint was filed “demonstrates the accuser’s real agenda, working in concert with Daily Beast to attack and harm the Schlapp family.”
The It is possible that allegations could affect how the process works. CPAC The conservative media, especially Fox News, received it. The Daily Beast reports Since the public disclosure of the claims, there has been no mention on air about the conference.
The This is in sharp contrast to last year’s wide-ranging coverage Fox News provided at the conference. The The conference has been financially supported by news channels, which paid $28,000 in sponsorship in 2021 and $250,000 for 2022.
Democrats will also be meeting in Maryland this Wednesday, as House Democrats attend their annual policy retreat in Baltimore — a meeting at which President Biden will speak.
Senate Democrats will host their Democratic Caucus Lunch on Tuesday. This suggests that both parties will conclude the week with renewed messaging focus.
