Donald Trump is likely to focus attacks away from his GOP primary challengers during his keynote address at the Conservative Political Action Conference to instead target establishment Republicans seeking a break from the former president’s influence.
Trump is scheduled to close out the conference with a 90-minute speech on Saturday evening, addressing several of his staunchest supporters in what is considered to be one of the most highly anticipated events of the annual conservative gathering. His appearance marks the end of the three-day conference that featured a number of high-profile conservatives, including two candidates challenging Trump for the GOP nomination.
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Trump plans to draw a sharp contrast between him and establishment Republicans, calling on supporters in the crowd to “finish the job” by electing him to a second term in the White House.
“The issues that brought Trump to the fore in 2016 are still with us,” a Trump aide told Axios. “These issues have never left. He’s going to remind people of the bigger picture. There’s a longer struggle here — in terms of finishing the job.”
His prepared remarks reflect the growing divide within the GOP as some party members back Trump for another White House bid while others quietly consider alternative options. However, Trump will benefit from somewhat of a home-field advantage as he appears before a crowd donned in MAGA hats and other related attire at a conference that has increasingly aligned itself with the former president in recent years.
During his speech, Trump will focus attacks on establishment Republican leaders as part of his continual efforts to portray himself as a political outsider.
“Trump has completely remade the party since he’s become president,” another aide told the outlet. “He realized there’s a difference between what grassroots activists thought and what Bush Republicans in Washington, D.C., were trying to enact.”
His speech will break away from the more traditional Republican messages heard from candidates Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy earlier in the week as Trump seeks to paint his campaign as rejecting the establishment of both political parties. Both Haley and Ramaswamy focused their remarks on encouraging unity within the party, seeking to gain support from all corners of the GOP.
Haley also took an unusual yet implicit dig at Trump during her speech on Friday, calling on voters to end the party’s losing streak by throwing their support behind her in the primary election.
“We’ve lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections,” Haley said. “Our cause is right, but we have failed to win the confidence of a majority of Americans. That ends now. If you’re tired of losing, then put your trust in a new generation.”
Although Haley did not specifically name Trump, the comments are among the closest she has gotten to criticizing her former boss as she paints herself as the GOP’s best bet to win the White House in 2024. Trump lost the popular vote in both the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Meanwhile, Ramaswamy used his speech to credit Trump for inspiring his campaign, calling the former president a “good friend.”
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“If he hadn’t done what he did in 2015 and 2016 as an outsider to come and shake up the system, I wouldn’t even have thought about doing what I’m doing today,” he said. “It’s possible that as this goes, we’ll get a little bit of name-calling. You know what, that’s part of … locker room talk.”
Trump’s speech comes just days before the former president is set to ramp up attacks against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is considered to be his toughest challenger for the GOP nomination. However, Trump is unlikely to go after any specific opponents during his CPAC address on Saturday, according to Axios.
