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Donald Trump at CPAC: Ex-president expected to declare himself leader of Republican Party

David Jackson, USA TODAY
·4 min read
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ORLANDO, Fla. – Less than 40 days after leaving office – and less than two months after an insurrection mounted by some of his supporters – former President Donald Trump resumes political life Sunday with a speech designed to claim continuing leadership of the Republican Party.

Trump is not expected to declare a 2024 presidential candidacy in his address to the Conservative Political Action Conference. But he is likely to discuss plans to inject himself into the 2022 congressional elections, backing Republicans who subscribe to his "Make America Great Again" agenda.

"I assure you that it will solidify Donald Trump and all of your feelings about the MAGA movement as the future of the Republican Party," Donald Trump Jr. told CPAC delegates on Friday as he previewed his father's speech.

Although he only left office Jan. 20, Trump is also expected to bash his still-new successor, President Joe Biden.

Trump's maiden speech of his post-presidency could be a long one. Trump, who spoke frequently at CPAC before and after his presidency, talked for two hours during his appearance in 2019.

The Return of Donald Trump: CPAC puts the Republican 2024 presidential primary front and center

More: Donald Trump will protest the 2020 election for years; CPAC is here to help him spread his conspiracies

The ex-president may also attack Republicans who expressed support for his impeachment, or refused to help him with efforts to overturn his election loss to Biden.

Some of those Republicans are urging the party to move past Trump, citing his role in the insurrection and calling him a divisive leader who would drag down the party to more defeats.

"I don't believe that he should be playing a role in the future of the party, or the country," said Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., one of ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

President Donald Trump acknowledges the crowd during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Feb. 29, 2020, in National Harbor, Maryland.
President Donald Trump acknowledges the crowd during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Feb. 29, 2020, in National Harbor, Maryland.

Beyond occasional written statements and brief phone-in interviews on cable television, Trump has laid low since leaving office, especially during this month's Senate impeachment trial.

The Senate acquitted Trump on charges he incited the riot, but only because prosecutors could not muster the two-thirds vote needed for conviction. As it was, 57 of the 100 senators voted for Trump's conviction, including seven Republicans – more possible targets of Trump's CPAC speech.

The ex-president will find a friendly crowd. Speaker after speaker has lauded Trump since CPAC opened on Thursday night. Many delegates have lined up to take pictures beside a golden statue of Trump, which is decked out in coat-and-tie, beach shorts, flip-flops, and carrying a magic wand.

K.T. McFarland, a former deputy national security adviser, told CPAC delegates Saturday she spoke with Trump by phone. She said he is looking forward to his address, and that supporters shouldn't be discouraged by recent events.

"He said, 'I'm going to talk about the future,'" she said of Trump. "'I'm going to talk about how we win (Congress) in 2022, how we take the White House back in 2024."

The expected attacks on Biden are unique in the modern era. Other ex-presidents have criticized their successors, but none have done it as early in the new president's first term as Trump.

Rather than fade from the political scene, as have many previous ex-presidents, Trump plans to stay in the spotlight, for better or for worse as far as the Republicans are concerned.

Exclusive: Defeated and impeached, Trump still commands the loyalty of the GOP's voters

'What happened ... must never happen again': Rep. Liz Cheney, a top House Republican, again hits Trump over Capitol riots

Trump and his allies are even planning to get involved in Republican primaries next month. They have vowed to back primary challengers to Republicans he views as disloyal, particularly the ten House Republicans who voted for impeachment.

On Friday, Trump endorsed former White House aide Max Miller in his challenge to Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, R-Ohio, an impeachment supporter.

Denver Riggleman, a former Republican congressman from Virginia who now opposes Trump, said he expects him on Sunday to aggressively attack critics while building a "cult of personality" within a Republican Party on the brink of civil war.

Said Riggleman: "You've got people who are loyal to Trump against people who are loyal to the Constitution."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CPAC: Donald Trump expected to claim leadership of Republican Party

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