DALLAS — The Conservative Political Action Conference is still very much a Donald Trump-dominated event, but ears perked up anytime another name was mentioned during the three-day event in Dallas.
Though Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is not at CPAC, he is still omnipresent, with his name stitched on hats and T-shirts and drawing a raucous reaction whenever it’s mentioned onstage. He is widely considered the leader of the post-Trump conservative movement and a potential 2024 presidential candidate.
Ahead of Trump’s headlining speech Saturday, most CPAC attendees said they believe the Republican Party is DeSantis’ to inherit, but not until the former president steps aside.
