CPAC: Haley speaks to conservatives ahead of Trump; Marjorie Taylor Greene attacks trans rights
Donald Trump and Nikki Haley will be there; Ron DeSantis and Mike Pence won’t
Haley rails against the “woke” left
Haley spent the majority of her speech criticizing “wokeness,” socialism and reiterating her call for a generational change among lawmakers.
“I am running for President to renew an America that’s strong and proud – not weak and woke,” said Haley.
Taking it one step further Haley compared “wokeness” to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Wokeness is a virus more dangerous than any pandemic hands down,” she said.
Since launching her campaign last month, Haley has called for a generational change among Republican and Democratic lawmakers and proposed mandatory mental competency tests for politicians older than 75. Haley, at 51, is decades younger than both Trump, 76, and President Joe Biden, 80.
Haley once again referenced her relative youth during her CPAC speech.
“Every politician and judge over 75 years old should take a competency test,” she said. “If you want to start at age 50, I’m good with that too.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene attacks trans rights
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., sought to fire up the crowd with attacks on “the left,” education policy, aid to Ukraine, and transgender issues. She did not mention her recent calls for a national “divorce” between red states and blue states.
“When it comes to kids, I think the Republican Party has a duty. We have a responsibility and that is to be the party that protects children,” Greene said as she excoriated transgender rights, to the applause of the audience.
Greene touted her Protect Children’s Innocence Act, which makes it a felony for children to receive gender-affirming care; she introduced the legislation last year and said she will soon re-introduce it this year.
make his Iowa debut next week, appearing with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in the first-in-the-nation caucus state on March 10. Haley will return to Iowa two days before DeSantis.
Other Republicans skipping the conference also include Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Conservative politicians are skipping CPAC, as its top organizer Matt Schlapp faces groping allegations from an unnamed Georgia Republican Herschel Walker aide. The staffer is suing Schlapp and his wife, Mercedes Schlapp, according to a report from Politico.
Trump wrote after Haley’s New Hampshire campaign stop last month.
Emerson polling showed Republican primary voters supported Trump 55% compared to 25% who supported DeSantis, a 30 percentage point advantage. Haley garnered 5% of support and Pence received 8% of support.
How much will Trump go after DeSantis or Haley before the CPAC delegates? Tune in Saturday.
CPAC so far
CPAC delegates held a few meetings late Wednesday and all-day sessions on Thursday and Friday. Delegates heard Biden-bashing from a panoply of Republican speakers and forums with titles like “No Chinese Balloons Over Tennessee” and “Sacking The Woke Playbook.”
Some of the speakers stopped in for interviews with radio talk shows and livesteam hosts who ringed the hallway at the cavernous convention center.
As CPAC delegates milled about, volunteers handed out fliers promoting any number of causes, such as opposition to China’s communist government to a documentary called “The Shadow State.”
The speakers included another prospective presidential candidate, former secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Like Haley, Pompeo did not directly take on Trump but concentrated his attacks on Biden and told CPAC members that hard work lies ahead for conservatives who have struggled in recent elections.
“Losing is bad because losing is bad,” he said.