Donald Trump is slated to speak around noon on Saturday as part of the last day of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Md.
His speech comes as he appears on a glide path toward the GOP nomination, with speculation now turning to who will be his running mate.
The event comes as Trump, who currently holds a 44-42 percent lead over President Biden in national polls averaged by The Hill and Decision Desk HQ, is on a glide path toward nomination.
Follow The Hill’s live updates here.
Noem, Ramaswamy tied for Trump VP pick in straw poll
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were tied for first place as Republican grassroot activists’ preference for former President Trump’s vice presidential pick.
Attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) gave Noem and Ramaswamy 15 percent each when asked whom they believed Trump should pick as his running mate for 2024.
Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard came in second at 9 percent, followed by House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) at 8 percent.
— Caroline Vakil
Trump trounces Haley in CPAC straw poll
Former President Trump resoundingly won the Conservative Political Action Conference’s (CPAC) straw poll just hours before he’s expected to handily beat rival Nikki Haley in the South Carolina GOP primary.
Trump defeated Haley 94 to 5 percent.
Though the results of Saturday’s straw poll were largely expected, the results underscore the extent to which the Republican base is lining up behind the former president in the GOP race.
— Caroline Vakil
Trump wraps speech
Trump concluded his speech after roughly 90 minutes, telling supporters he had to depart for South Carolina for the primary there.
Trump is scheduled to attend a watch party in the Palmetto State, where he is expected to win the primary over rival Nikki Haley.
— Brett Samuels
Trump fumes over $450M New York fraud fine
Former President Trump fumed over the $355 million in penalties, which could add to as much as $450 million with interest included, that he was ordered to pay after a New York judge found him liable of fraud for inflating his assets for financial gain.
“These people are sick,” Trump said at CPAC. “It’s all part of weaponization.”
— Caroline Vakil
Trump mocks Biden’s gaffes, stumbles
Former President Trump mocked President Biden during his CPAC speech, including his gaffes and stumbles on the stairs, quipping at one point, “This is what we have negotiating nuclear weapons.”
Republicans have mocked Biden’s gaffes, and voters have pointed to the president’s age as a major concern. Biden is 81 while Trump is 77.
The issue of age became a focal point during a report released by special counsel Robert Hur earlier this month, who described Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
— Caroline Vakil
Trump pledges ‘largest deportation’ in history of US if reelected
Trump said if reelected he would initiate the “largest deportation in the history of our country” as he described the flow of migrants into the U.S. as a threat to the nation.
“We have no choice,” Trump said. “And it’s not a nice thing and I hate to say it, and those clowns in the media will say ‘oh he’s so mean.’ No, no. they’re killing our people, they’re killing our country.”
Trump claimed migrants were speaking languages “that nobody in this country has ever heard of.”
The former president previously drew criticism for claiming migrants were “poisoning the blood” of the country, rhetoric that echoed Nazi Germany.
— Brett Samuels
Trump ‘agrees’ with Putin saying he’d rather Biden was president
Former President Trump said he agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would rather have President Biden as president for a second term than Trump.
During his CPAC speech, he misleadingly said that he “ended” Nord Stream 2, though that is inaccurate given the former president imposed sanctions while in office though much of the construction around it had already occurred by then.
— Caroline Vakil
Trump says success will be his revenge
Trump, who a year ago told CPAC attendees, “I am your retribution,” told supporters this year that a successful second term would be his revenge against his critics.
“Your victory will be our ultimate vindication, your liberty will be our ultimate reward, and the unprecedented success of the United States of America will be my ultimate and absolute revenge,” Trump said. “That’s what I want. Success will be our revenge.”
Critics have long raised concerns that Trump could use the Justice Department if reelected to target his political opponents.
— Brett Samuels
Trump predicts Election Day will be ‘Judgment Day’ for opponents
Trump spent much of his speech painting a dystopian picture of the country under the Biden administration, and he described the upcoming election as “Liberation Day” for his supporters.
“For hard-working Americans, Nov. 5 will be our new Liberation Day,” Trump said. “But for the liars, and cheaters, and fraudsters, and censors and imposters who have commandeered our government it will be their Judgment Day.”
“When we win, the curtain closes on their corrupt rein and the sun rises on a bright new future for America,” he added. “I believe it’s our last chance.”
— Brett Samuels
Trump calls himself ‘political dissident’
Trump referred to himself as a “political dissident” in his speech to supporters as he bemoaned the 91 felony charges he’s facing across four separate cases.
“I stand before you today only as your past and hopefully future president, but as a proud political dissident. I am a dissident,” Trump said.
— Brett Samuels
Trump calls Biden a “threat to democracy”
Former President Trump called President Biden a “threat to democracy” while speaking to attendees at CPAC on Saturday. He argued that a vote for the former president was “your passport out of tyranny.”
Trump was met with “We love Trump!” chants at one point during his speech.
— Caroline Vakil
Trump takes the stage at CPAC
Former President Trump takes the stage at CPAC to cheers as Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” blares on the speakers. Trump was scheduled to take the stage an hour ago.
— Caroline Vakil
Room quickly filling up ahead of Trump speech
The room where speakers have been delivering remarks at CPAC is quickly filling up as attendees await former President Trump, who’s set to take the stage in 15 minutes.
Attendees are taking videos and photos, with visitors wearing bright red attire, including the red “MAGA” hats that are seen sprinkled among the crowd.
— Caroline Vakil
Lake: Trump’s ‘mean tweets brought us world peace.”
Kari Lake said during CPAC on Saturday that former President Trump’s “mean tweets brought world peace.”
“We’ve got some pretty strong men in this room as well. And that’s what is going to get us through this difficult time,” Lake told the crowd. “You know, I don’t really care if he pissed off the fake news. I really don’t — those mean tweets brought us world peace.”
— Caroline Vakil
Lake: ‘We’re tired of the beta men’
Kari Lake took to the stage at CPAC on Saturday saying that “we’re tired of the beta man” while speaking about former Presidents Reagan and Trump.
“I liked the bowl in the china shop ideology. I like — I like a strong man. We have way too many weaklings out there,” Lake told the CPAC crowded. “Let me hear it from the ladies out there. We’re tired of the beta men, we want some alpha men.”
Lake is running for Arizona Senate against Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.).
— Caroline Vakil
Anti-CPAC summit taking place parallel to GOP conference
A summit that includes prominent anti-Trump speakers and has been described by its organizers as “anti-CPAC” is taking place on the same day as CPAC.
The Principles First Summit, which runs between Friday and Sunday, is taking place in Washington, D.C.
Speakers expected to give remarks there today include former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, former Trump White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews and former White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffi.
— Caroline Vakil
Trump campaign makes its presence known
The Trump campaign is already making its presence know ahead of his appearance later this afternoon with press secretary Karoline Leavitt hitting media row.
– Caroline Vakil
Trump, Lindell, Lake, Ramaswamy to speak at final day of CPAC 2024
Former President Donald Trump, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy are set to wrap up the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Saturday.
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is also set to speak following the conference’s straw poll results in the early evening.
Follow along with a video stream of the conference here.
Third day of CPAC gets underway
The third day of CPAC is getting underway as attendees slowly trickle in.
Some are wearing Trump memorabilia or the color red, similar to the former president’s “Make America Great Again” cherry red hats.
– Caroline Vakil
