A four-day conference featuring prominent Republican officials, right-wing personalities and activist groups will convene on 1 March, with marquee speeches from Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo and Jair Bolsonaro, among others.
This year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, is also notable for who is not attending: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, widely considered among political analysts to enter the 2024 presidential race against Mr Trump.
Former Vice President Mike Pence and many top congressional Republicans, including newly selected House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, will also not be attending the conference, now being held in Maryland outside of Washington DC after stints in Florida and Texas.
The conference this year also does not appear to have coverage sponsorship from Fox News, while competing outlet Newsmax is listed as a presenting spnsor and far-right streaming service Real America’s Voice is named one of four participating sponsors.
Meanwhile, American Conservative Union chair Matt Schlapp, whose organisation runs the conference and who has served as a key figure elevating the former president and his movement, faces accusations of sexual misconduct from a former GOP campaign aide.
