Former President Donald Trump, in his first public address since departing the White House in January, will call on Republicans to unite for the party at a conservative conference in Florida Sunday.
“We are not starting new parties, and we will not be dividing our power and our strength.
Instead, we will be united and strong like never before,” Trump will say when he gives the keynote address at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, according to an excerpt obtained by Fox News.
The former president will also set out a “pathway” for Republicans to regain control of the House and Senate, the report said.”The only division is between a handful of Washington, D.C., establishment political hacks and everybody else all over the country,” he will say.
And Trump will break the tradition kept by past presidents of holding off on criticising their successors — by blasting President Biden for his handling of the economy during the coronavirus pandemic, and rolling back many aspects of Trump’s immigration and foreign policies.
“Joe Biden has had the most disastrous first month of any president in modern history,” Trump will say.
He is also expected to take a shot at Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him last month for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.Last Friday, he endorsed Max Miller, a former White House aide, who plans on challenging GOP Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio.
Trump supporters hold signs and wave to motorists outside the convention center at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)Gonzalez was among the Republicans who voted to impeach him.But the speech will be largely forward-looking, as the former president positions himself as the Republican standard bearer amid reports that he may announce that he will make a run for the White House in 2024.
“I stand before you today to declare that the incredible journey we began together four years ago is far from over,” Trump is expected to say. “We are gathered this afternoon to talk about the future — the future of our movement, the future of our party, and the future of our beloved country.”The former president will speak to a Trump-friendly crowd at CPAC when he takes the stage later Sunday afternoon.
Even though many of the Republican hopefuls for 2024 have appeared at the weekend event, Trump remains the star of the show, with many of the speakers pledging their continued support for him.Trump merchandise has been on prominent display, including a gold statue of him wearing sandals and waving a magic wand that is for sale with the asking price of $100,000.
Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., previewed his father’s speech by saying it will not be “what we call a ‘low-energy’ speech” and joked that CPAC should be called “T-PAC.”
With Post wires
