fbpx

The 2023 CPAC goes back to Washington, D.C.

Politics - March 7, 2023

From the end of January, the ECR Party has been reaching out to members and friends in order to foster participation for its 2023 delegation to the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), to be held in Washington, D.C. between 28 February and 5 March.

The delegation objective is to strengthen bonds between European Union conservatives and their allies abroad, whereas the Conference brings together hundreds of conservative organisations, thousands of activists, millions of viewers and great world leaders.

The announced speakers from the United States of America include a vast list of national politicians, starting with their 45th President Mr. Donald J. Trump; plus Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty (Tennessee), Mike Brown (Indiana), Ted Cruz (Texas), Eric Schmitt (Missouri) and Rick Scott (Florida); Congressmen Elise Stefanik (New York), James Comer (Kentucky), Matt Gaetz, Kat Cammack, Byron Donalds and Greg Steube (Florida), Mark Green and Diana Harshbarger (Tennessee), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia), Lauren Boebert (Colorado), Ronny Jackson and Wesley Hunt (Texas), Dan Bishop (North Carolina), Warren Davidson and Jim Jordan (Ohio), Ralph Norman (South Carolina), Scott Perry (Pennsylvania), Ryan Zinke (Montana) and Joe Mitchell (Iowa); the 70th Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; the 53th Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt; former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson, former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, former acting Director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tom Homan, former Deputy National Security Advisor KT McFarland, former Department of Defence Chief of Staff Kash Patel, former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and former Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer; former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii); and Ambassador Nikki Haley.

At member state level, CPAC attendees can also meet Governor Brad Little (Idaho); Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson (North Carolina); Secretary of State Frank LaRose (Ohio); Attorney Generals Ashley Moody (Florida), Jeff Landry (Louisiana), Sean Reyes (Utah), Dave Yost (Ohio) and Raul R. Labrador (Idaho); plus District Attorney Dave Sunday (Pennsylvania); and prosecutors Peter Lucido (Michigan) and Abe Hamadeh (Arizona).

Outside of government, the conference has assured presence of authors Candace Owens, Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Mollie Hemingway, Sara Carter, Stephen Miller, Katie Pavlich, Vivek Ramaswami, L. Brent Bozell III, Gordon Chang, Dr. Kevin Hassett, Andrew Puzder, Kurt Schlichter, Ilya Shapiro, Michael Anton, Julie Kelly, Jan Jekielek, Julio Rosas, Dan Schneider and Mark Levin; CEOs Devin Nunes, Abby Johnson, Penny Nance, Wendy Kinney, Terry Schilling,  Maj Toure, Kimberley Fletcher, Hadas Levy and Donald Trump Jr.; commentators Ben Ferguson, Kari Lake, Tom Fitton, Sean Spicer, Dr. Monica Crowley, Charlie Gerow, Jack Posobiec, Jason Rantz, Bill Walton, Josh Hammer, Joshua Phillip, Sandy Rios, Chaya Raichik and Todd Starnes; sportsmen Jack Brewer, Riley Gaines, Larry O’Connor and Kimberley Guilfoyle; physician Dr. Robert Malone; consultants Jim McLaughlin, J. Hogan Gidley and Ian Prior; film director Amanda Milius; singer Mary Millben; and lawyer Julie Strauss Levin.

Non-US participants comprise Andrew Cooper, founder of CPAC Australia; Jay Aeba, chairman of CPAC Japan; plus actor Eduardo Verastegui from Mexico; and congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro from Brazil.

This impressive line-up of speakers demonstrates that the CPAC is the largest and perhaps most influential gathering of conservatives in the world.

In the United States, CPAC is the third ranked political and press event of the year, behind the State of the Union and the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, showcasing CPAC’s ability to be at the centre of the news media for several consecutive days.  Launched in 1974 and held in the federal capital for the last time in 2020, CPAC currently brings together and energizes over 18,000 people every year – from college-aged to retired – who represent leading conservative organisations, educational institutions, elected officials, thought leaders, media personalities and grassroots activists who fight for conservatism in both America and abroad.

The speeches by President Trump, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswami are particularly expected, since the three of them have already launched their respective campaigns to run for the United States presidency in 2024 within the ranks of the Republican Party.

The ECR Party delegation of thirty members will join their peers in the National Harbor convention centre.  Former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is programmed to deliver the keynote address at the Ronald Reagan Dinner on 3 March, a singular highlight during the soirée to take place in the formidable Potomac Ballroom.