Thousands of political activists gathered for the opening of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday morning, as its organizer said its Awake, Don’t Wake topic caught the mood of people angry that they had been told what to do. they do.
One more time Donald Trump is the keynote speaker as he strives to keep his grip on republican Party before the start in 2024
His son Don Jr. will close the event on Sunday afternoon, while 2024 contenders may have other coveted slots, such as Gov. Ron DeSantis – whose rivalry with Trump provides a key sub-plot – and Gov. Christie L. Noem of South Dakota.
But Matt Schlap, president of the American Conservative Union, which organized the event, said it was all about the nationwide riot.
The topic “wake up, don’t wake up” captured the mood of the moment, he told DailyMail.com.
“Many people around the world have seen the government just come and dictate almost every aspect of their lives – when the church can open, when the church can close or the school can open, when the parent can even learn what’s going on. at school or arrested for asking questions about what is happening at their school, “he said.
“In America, we woke up to the idea that we were teaching our children to hate our country. And that really annoys us.
Matt Schlapp, president of the American Conservative Union, which organized the event, said Americans were tired of being told what to do.
Some 18,000 activists are expected in Orlando, Florida, for the “wake up, don’t wake up” event as Republicans want to bring Congress back to the interim
Former President Trump will headline the event with a speech on Saturday night
Trump remains a major attraction for many Orlando activists, although some Republicans warn that the event has lost its diversity of views and space for debate.
The sessions have populist headlines from “Fiery Fauci” – which includes former Trump employee Sebastian Gorka and representative Matt Gaetz – to “The Chief Idiot.”
Schlap outlined the cultural battle lines that are being discussed, saying not only Republicans are angry.
– These are cops, teachers and coaches. They do not want to be told that they need to teach young children to believe that they are not the right sex. “They don’t want children to receive gender reassignment drugs without telling their parents,” he said.
“I mean, we’re in a very crazy and chaotic time, and that’s leading to an awakened Democratic Party that’s just getting blows everywhere from San Francisco to Seattle to Minneapolis.”
The band covers topics with outspoken favorites such as Charlie Kirk, an ally of Trump and founder of Turning Point USA, and Charlie O’Keefe, who runs Project Libertas, a controversial liberal-oriented media organization.
Representatives Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Biebert – both elected in 2020, when Trump was about to leave – will speak at the CPAC as they become prominent and controversial voices in the House of Representatives Republican caucus.
Former Democrat Tulsi Gabard (left) and Dr. Mehmet Oz (right) will appear at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, where she has been relocated to break the strict COVID-19 protocols.
For now, former MP Tulsi Gabard is the only prominent Democrat expected to appear in the CPAC, a gathering for those on the political right. As Gabbard approved of President Joe Biden, she became more critical and often appeared on the Fox News Channel.
But that spicy taste has repelled some Republicans.
“This year, the group is showing a party that is trying to marry Trump-style conservatism before Trump,” the conservative columnist wrote in The Washington Post.
“And what is missing?” A real discussion and debate on the issues.
Former Vice President Mike Pence and Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nicki Haley, will not be present this year, omitting a platform that is usually required for potential presidential candidates.
Nor is Glenn Youngkin, whose plan to win the Virginia governor race last year is much sought after by the Republican Party. He has quietly moved away from hardcore conservative gatherings.
But the event drew a Democrat in the form of Tulsi Gabard, who is running for her party’s 2020 nomination.
She will appear on Friday night’s Ronald Reagan Dinner, where the keynote speaker is former Fox News conspiracy theorist Glenn Beck.
Gabard is highly controversial in democratic circles, where she is viewed with suspicion for parroting Vladimir Putin’s propaganda and defending Syria’s powerful leader Bashar al-Assad.
The rally was held in Virginia, a stone’s throw from Washington.
But he’s been in Florida since last year, using the state’s calm attitude toward COVID-19 and camouflage.
It brings together more than 18,000 people each year who “fight for conservatism in America and abroad,” according to his website.
Others that have solo slots include Sens Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.
And former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is another possible runner for 2024, will speak on Friday.
CPAC organizers also include Jackie Siegel, who was featured in the documentary The Queen of Versailles for her attempt to build a replica of a French castle in Florida, and Papa John, former pizza chief executive John Schnater, who was ousted by post after using the n-word in sensitivity training, making appearances.
Another controversial guest is former Missouri Gov. Eric Greatens, who is running for the open seat in the state Senate.
Greytens resigned as governor in 2018 over allegations that he sexually and physically assaulted his hairdresser – and used nude photos of her to silence her.