Top Republicans Refusing To Attend CPAC

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

(TheRedWire.com) – The annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is took place this week, and two GOP presidential candidates, former President Trump and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley are set to attend the event. However, many notable Republicans did not make an appearance during the four-day event, these include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

The conference started on Wednesday at the National Harbor, Md., and it comes ahead of what is widely expected to be a crowded and competitive presidential primary.

Some of the most notable people in attendance will be:

Former President Trump

Former President Trump is spoke during the CPAC. Currently, he is considered the candidate to beat in the GOP presidential primary, with a recent Fox News poll showing that 43 percent of respondents supported Trump while only 28 percent would back DeSantis for the GOP nomination.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley

Haley was the first major GOP member to have launched a campaign for the White House challenging Trump. The CPAC is widely perceived as an opportunity for Haley to approach some important members of the conservative circle.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

Pompeo, who is widely expected to also join the presidential race, delivered remarks on Thursday evening.

Absences from the CPAC:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

The most notable absence from the CPAC was DeSantis who following the 2022 midterm elections has widely been seen as one of the biggest competitors for Trump in the GOP nomination race. DeSantis has not yet announced whether he will run for the White House.

Former Vice President Pence

Pence did not attend CPAC. This is going to be the third year in a row when the former Vice President is going to be skipping the event.

 

Copyright 2023, TheRedWire.com