Yup….
Ain’t just Donald Trump…
And the field will NOT just wait for the former President….
The ambitious ones are working things from the jump….
Auditions for the 2024 Republican nomination have begun — and several big names are trying out for the role of the future Donald Trump.
There’s one problem, however. The former president may not be ready to cede the stage to an understudy.
Trump will give the keynote speech Sunday afternoon at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which this year is being held in Orlando, Fla. The conference began in earnest on Friday.
Trump’s speech will be his most high-profile public engagement since leaving office after having been impeached for a second time following the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. He is widely expected to win a straw poll conducted among CPAC attendees earlier Sunday.
Trump has said nothing definite about running again. But even his detractors acknowledge he would be the strong favorite for the GOP nomination — even as those skeptics are also adamant he would lose a general election.
“Trump will be the nominee if he decides to run,” said Rick Tyler, a conservative strategist who is openly critical of Trump.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who voted for Trump’s conviction during both his impeachment proceedings, acknowledged the same reality in comments earlier this week….
…
Friday saw a procession of speakers who have set their sights on the former president’s mantle as a populist candidate if they enter the 2024 race.
Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) all spoke.
No one really doubts that the GOP has shifted decisively in Trump’s direction over the past four years. But the pro-Trump lane for 2024 is crowded and some of the candidates running within it have significant problems…
…
In his speech, Hawley sought to portray himself — as Cotton also did — as a victim of “cancel culture.”
“I was called a traitor, I was called a seditionist, the radical left said…if I wouldn’t resign, I should be expelled from the United States Senate,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere, I’m staying right here.”
Figures like Cruz, Cotton and Hawley are betting that sticking as closely as possible to Trump as possible is the way to boost their 2024 chances. They may be right — but the calculus only works if he does not run again.
…
Pence will notably not appear at CPAC. Nor will former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), whose criticisms of Trump in a recent Politico profile left her open to the charge of trying to keep a foot in both pro- and anti-Trump camps. Candidates who might run as overly anti-Trump figures, such as Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) are widely considered long shots.
CPAC will give plenty of Trump-like 2024 hopefuls their moment in the spotlight.
But, for good or bad, it is still Trump’s party….
image…TheHill
I think I’ll believe someone like Romney who understands what’s going on.
As has been proven over and over again?You dont.
‘Reason’ is in short supply with the Trumpers
There’s no doubt a reason why Reason is the name of a libertarian magazine.
And what gathering of Republicans would be complete without a little science denialism.
The provider of the stimulant for Right Wing hearts at CPAC was confirmed science denier and Trump cultist Kristi Noem ,the Governor of South Dakota.
The kooks have their new golden girl!
Just think Nikki this could have been you!
Keep dialing Trumps number,maybe he’ll answer!
Where’s Stephanie Herseth[-Sandlin] when we need her?
Has Sarah Palin aged out with this crowd?
Anti Trump stuff still bubbling up in the GOPer background….
Trump Zombie coronation tonight….
At least for some…
Not all on a ‘loser’….
Is there a golden replica of the anti-Trump as there is one for Trump?
He, he , he
Can u image?
Getting a picture next to the damn thing like some of them are????🙄
The golden anti-icon would be racing backwards furiously up the Golden Escalator.
By the way when is The Speech by the Rightful President scheduled?
The Pretender Trump’s speech to the “Conservative” Political Action Conference is scheduled for 3:40 p.m. (about an hour from now).
Should be available on line over C-Span.org at
https://www.c-span.org/video/?509084-1/president-trump-addresses-cpac
The Conservative Political Action Conference began Friday and continued Saturday with a series of false claims about the 2020 election and many other subjects.
The CPAC schedule made clear in advance that the conference — taking place in Orlando instead of its usual home just outside Washington, DC — would feature election-related lying. Over three days, the CPAC agenda includes seven separate panels or speeches under the title of “protecting elections” — plus appearances by other prominent figures, including former President Donald Trump himself, who have falsely insisted that the election was stolen.
Friday featured false claims about the election, the Capitol attack, and even The Muppets, while on Saturday, there were several incorrect claims on immigration, energy and voting laws — some of which echoed claims President Donald Trump had repeated throughout his administration.
Here is a fact check of some of the statements CPAC speakers made on Friday and Saturday….
More…
Been saying….
It’s about the ego and the money…
Screw the country…
Taegan Goddard
@politicalwire
“I think he’s going to run in 2024 because this is the most money that he’s ever made. Just imagine making $300 million off of these rubes that he’s conning after the election with his big lie.” –
@Scaramucci
https://politicalwire.com/2021/02/28/quote-of-the-day-2821/… via
@politicalwire
WOA!!!!
Elizabeth Landers
@ElizLanders
CPAC’s straw poll did a version of 2024’s candidate list without Trump in there. DeSantis still top pick
Trumps “approval” among CPAC attendees ?
97%.
How many is THAT Jack?
You ARE reaching…..
What do you mean “reaching?”
I’m quoting what CPACs pollster McLaughlin put out.
CPAC playing MJ’s “Billie Jean…I am the one…” after using an hour of free air time on C-Span to run its own videos (CPAC Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Brazil, UKIP, etc.)
Trump was due to speak at 3:40; he’s no doubt trying to stretch this into prime time.
Now they’re playing Macho Man and Gloria.
The manager to the late Laura Branigan has objected to Trumpites using “Gloria”
It was the song of the St. Louis Blues during their successful pursuit of the 2019 Stanley Cup.
CSPAN
@cspan
·
10m
Former President Trump speaks at #CPAC #CPAC2021 – LIVE on C-SPAN https://c-span.org/video/?509084-1/president-trump-addresses-cpac
Donald is just gonna KEEP LYING….
Aaron Blake
@AaronBlake
Trump: “Biden has triggered a massive flood of illegal immigration into our country. the likes of which we have never seen before.”
Border apprehensions were 78,000 in January.
They peaked over 144,000 under Trump in 2019.
AND?
Luke Zaleski
@ZaleskiLuke
Replying to
@AaronBlake
I really hope the immigrants don’t attack the Capitol
Karen Tumulty
@ktumulty
Does anyone else think Trump sounds like his heart really isn’t in this? The energy is … low.
Trump Wins CPAC Straw Poll
Former President Donald Trump won the Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll on Sunday, with 55% of respondents saying they would vote for him in a hypothetical 2024 primary, The Hill reports.
He was followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) at 21% and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) at 4%.
New York Times: “But in a surprise bit of downbeat news for Mr. Trump, only 68% of those at the conference said they wanted the former president to run again in 2024.”
The Conservative Political Action Committee’s annual presidential preference poll over the years was won four times by Mitt Romney, three times by Jack Kemp and once by George W. Bush.
None would be welcome at the conference held this week in Orlando, Fla.
This right-wing confab now is more TPAC — as in Trump — than CPAC. The former president reasserted his dominance of the Republican party through 2024. Differences, much less dissent, are verboten. Former Vice President Mike Pence isn’t attending, knowing he’d face a hostile reception after refusing last month to violate the law and reject the electoral votes on the presidential election….
More…
Michael Beschloss
@BeschlossDC
The languor of this speech echoes Peron in the later years.
Droning on about the Stolen Election. I’m switching to the Weekend evening news.
I should have written Whining on about the Stolen Election.
Fox News…
Trump uses CPAC speech to tear into Biden on border crisis, says he won’t create new party
Trump also hit Biden on the failure to re-open schools..
“In one short month we have gone from America First to America Last,” he said.
Trump spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), marking his first major speech since leaving office. He spoke to a raucous pro-Trump crowd at an event where his influence was felt throughout.
He focused predominantly on the escalating border crisis, which he returned to frequently as he ripped into Biden’s rollbacks of a number of Trump-era policies – which has in turn seen a surge in migrants at the border.
“It took the new administration only a few weeks to turn this unprecedented accomplishment into a self-inflicted humanitarian and national security disaster,” he said.
“By recklessly eliminating our border, security measures, controls, all the things we put into place, Joe Biden has triggered a massive flood of illegal immigration into our country like we’ve never seen before.”
More…
This seemed to be a rewind back to 2016?
I did NOT waste my time watching it…
Kyle Griffin
@kylegriffin1
MSNBC and CNN aren’t playing the former president’s speech.
Was there a memorial to the dead doper Limbaugh at CPAC?
He was quietly buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis. I guess his family has a plot there though he never lived here that I know of.
Ironic that he’s buried in a city where only 17% voted for Trump and the cemetery is in largely black north St. Louis.
He was praised by speakers. Don’t know if there was an official memorial.