WASHINGTON — As former President Donald Trump is set to reassert himself as the leader of his party this weekend, Republicans are pushing him to opt for a message of unity over further dividing an already fractured GOP.
Whether or not Republicans are fully comfortable with that role for him, they are hopeful that Trump will be a constructive force in their efforts to wrest back control of Congress — as long as he can resist the urge to relentlessly attack members of his own party.
GOP officials and strategists across the country will be closely watching Trump’s first major address since leaving office at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday, looking for signs of whether he is more interested in seeking vengeance against Republicans who have crossed him or helping the party coalesce against their common opponents: President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders in Congress.
