The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is kicking off its first full day of speakers Thursday in what is expected to be a de facto rally for Donald Trump’s presidential bid.
The event in past years has been a showcase for different facets of the American conservative movement, though recently it has been dominated by the MAGA wing. Trump himself is slated to speak Saturday.
Follow live updates from the conference here.
The Washington Post blasted CPAC after it denied credentials to its journalists looking to cover this weekend’s event.
“CPAC’s denial of press credentials to The Washington Post is an affront to the role of a free and independent press, and we encourage CPAC to reexamine its decision,”a spokesperson for the Post told The Hill on Thursday.
The Post is one of several mainstream media outlets that extensively covered allegations of sexual misconduct and poor financial management against chair Matt Schlapp.
Lara Trump called on Republicans to “embrace” early voting as a way to better compete with Democrats in upcoming elections.
“The days of waiting until Election Day to vote are over,” she said. “We have to encourage everyone who can legally vote to go do so as soon as they legally can.”
Her endorsement of early voting could contribute to Republicans increasing trust in the process as her father-in-law, former President Trump, has endorsed her to become co-chair of the Republican National Committee.
Democrats tend to be significantly more likely to vote early, while Republicans are more likely to vote on Election Day.
Lara Trump’s comments come as Republicans have been grappling with how to increase early voter turnout, especially in light of the former president’s denunciation of early voting over his false claims of the 2020 election being stolen.
—Jared Gans
Former President Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, said she “never imagined” that she would seek to become co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC).
She said it was a “great honor” for her father-in-law to back her to become RNC chair.
“This is a position for which I never imagined I would run but I also never imagined our country would be in such dire straights,” she said, adding that it’s “time to run” and “time to win.”
The former president has thrown his support behind Lara, who is his son Eric’s wife, and North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley to take over leadership of the RNC.
Current Chair Ronna McDaniel is expected to step down from her position following the South Carolina GOP primary Saturday.
—Jared Gans
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said Thursday he was worried about the potential for a government shutdown, with looming funding deadlines approaching on March 1 and March 8.
“It remains to be seen” if the government will shut down, he told reporters at CPAC.
Donalds said he would not support efforts to pass foreign aid spending through the House, a measure that Democrats have tied to government funding. Republicans, meanwhile, have demanded strict border security changes in return.
The standstill has made funding measures unlikely before the March deadlines, with just days of work scheduled between both the House and Senate due to recesses.
Donalds specifically noted that Republicans who back a discharge petition to bring the foreign aid spending measure to the House floor should be “voted out of office,” and he accused Democrats of not caring about border security.
“We got to secure our border,” he said. “And if we’re going to take care of the borders of other countries before our own, then people deserve to be unelected and deserve to be removed from office.”
“In my opinion, you cannot have a situation where you’re not securing our nation first,” he continued. “You secure your home before you go out and do anything else.”
The government has run on short-term continuing resolutions since last fall, with last-second negotiations avoiding a shutdown in October eventually leading to the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). Concerns over a government shutdown next month have led to speculation that a motion to vacate could also be filed against Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
Donalds brushed off the idea, saying that no Republicans have talked about removing Johnson.
— Nick Robertson
Former Fox News anchor Ed Henry referred to himself as a “recovering mainstream media member.” Henry now hosts a show on Newsmax after being fired by Fox in 2020 in the wake of a sexual misconduct accusation.
The pundit on Thursday hosted a discussion with Reps. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho) on the Freedom Caucus agenda.
The CPAC exhibition hall included a variety of conservative merchandise, trinkets, and even a twist on the traditional pinball game — a virtual version with a Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection theme.
The pinball game, created by entrepreneur Jonathan Linowes, features photos from the Capitol riots, former President Trump’s rally earlier in the day, along with graphics of the U.S. Capitol and media networks MSNBC, Fox News and CNN.
The game can be played over seven modes: “Stop the Steal,” “Fake News,” “Peaceful Protest,” “It’s a Setup,” “Babbitt Murder,” “Have Faith” and “Political Prisoners.”
As you play each mode, videos from the insurrection play on a screen above.
Linowes told The Hill he hopes the game can “reach an audience” of those who are not ordinarily political.
— Miranda Nazzaro
Despite middling attendance for the first major CPAC speakers on Thursday, former President Trump’s biggest supporters showed out.
– Nick Robertson
Though a number of high-profile Republicans and allies of former President Trump are attending this year’s CPAC, other notable members of the party are not scheduled to attend the conference.
Some of the names missing from CPAC’s confirmed speakers list including Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Ronna McDaniel, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Several of them, including Haley and DeSantis, were invited to attend.
— Caroline Vakil
Fox News, the top-watched cable news channel, had no significant presence at CPAC on day one.
Broadcast row on Thursday was instead filled with large setups for Newsmax, Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcasts and other smaller conservative media outlets.
Fox has covered speeches and other news arising out of CPAC during the last several years but has not committed many in-person resources to covering the event.
— Dominick Mastrangelo
Attendees are gathering for a full day of CPAC activities. Lara Trump, former President Trump’s daughter-in-law, and former United Kingdom Prime Minister Liz Truss are among the speakers slated for Thursday.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) dug into whom he called the “stupid” judge who ordered Trump to pay $355 million in his New York fraud case.
“Lady Justice is supposed to be even handed, not deciding that a Green New Deal is way more important than a basic rule of law that everybody can see and follow,” Donalds said Thursday. “They got this stupid judge in New York with the $400 million fine. What kind of craziness is this? By the way, can you business owners in New York come to Florida?”
His comments come nearly a week after Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to pay more than $355 million for conspiring to alter his net worth to receive tax and insurance benefits. The order also blocks Trump from participating in New York business for three years.
—Miranda Nazzaro
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) took a swipe at CPAC and its chair, Matt Schlapp, writing on X, “Years ago, @CPAC was actually principled and actually conservative. Now the C seems to stand for Creep. And maybe Cover-up.”
Schlapp and his wife, Mercedes Schlapp, were sued nearly a year ago over allegations he sexually assaulted a former staff member of Republican Herschel Walker’s Georgia Senate campaign. They have denied the allegations.
— Miranda Nazzaro
Among the attendees at this year’s CPAC is Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow and a key ally of former President Trump.
—Caroline Vakil
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said Congress should ensure the border is “secure” before funding the government.
“You either secure the border or you get no money for the government,” he said.
Donalds further argued that the Founding Fathers would not have ratified the Constitution to allow an “invasion” into the country, referring to the influx of migrants who have come into the country.
“Decide, Joe Biden. Which … matters more to you, the border of the United States or the border of Ukraine?” he said.
The crowd responded with “USA” chants.
—Jared Gans
The first lineup of CPAC speakers is underway with Rep. Bryon Donalds (R-Fla.) taking the stage first.
Attendees are slowly shuffling in, with some wearing former President Trump’s signature cherry red “Make America Great Again” hats. The crowd is mostly quiet and attentive.
— Caroline Vakil