ORLANDO, Fla. — All eyes are on Orlando this weekend as one of the largest gatherings of conservative activists comes to town.
The big question: will former president Trump run for office again?
Trump will deliver his first public speech since leaving the White House on Sunday.
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The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) brings the base of the Republican party together to focus on what’s next for the party.
Since the mid-70s, CPAC has held its conference in the D.C. area, but this year in part due to COVID-19, the conference is in Florida, Trump’s home state after leaving office.
Attendees began arriving for the CPAC on Thursday, even though the conference itself will not officially get underway until Friday, with opening remarks from Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“There has been an effort on the part of the governor to bring these events to Florida, so there is a favorable regulatory environment for them to come to,” University of Central Florida political science professor John Hanley said.
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Hanley notes that from the Super Bowl to the canceled Republican National Convention, DeSantis has made a play to bring events in, even with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
For its part, CPAC, which will be mostly indoors, is requiring an online health screening, and will have sanitation stations and masks for attendees.
As for the program? It’s a list marked as much with who is on it, as who is not.
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Trump, DeSantis and U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley are all set to speak at the event -- each of whom is considered a possible 2024 presidential candidate.
Former Vice President Mike Pence and former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley will not speak at the event.
Another big name who will not be attending this year is Mitt Romney, the man who holds the record for the most CPAC straw poll victories.
See the full report in the video above.
Cox Media Group
