ORLANDO, Florida—Taking the stage for the first time since leaving office, former President Donald Trump on Sunday called for unity in the Republican Party in a speech at a conservative political conference.
Trump used his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where he has been hailed as a returning hero, to criticize the policies of his successor, President Joe Biden.
He also won the most support in a straw poll of over 1,000 attendees as the next GOP presidential candidate, coming out ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Gov. Kristi Noem, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
“Do you miss me yet?” Trump said after taking the stage, where his old rally soundtrack had been playing. “I stand before you today to declare that the incredible journey we begun together … is far from being over.”
Trump dismissed reports of him creating a third party, reaffirming his commitment to “our beloved party.”
“I’m going to continue to fight right by your side. We’re not starting new parties,” he said. “We have the Republican Party. It’s going to be strong and united like never before.”
The conference, held this year in Orlando instead of the Washington suburbs because of COVID-19 restrictions, has been a tribute to Trump and Trumpism, complete with a golden statue in his likeness. Speakers, including many potential 2024 hopefuls, voiced their ongoing support for Trump’s policies.
Biden
Trump delivered a sharp rebuke of the Biden administration’s first month in office, starting with Biden’s approach to immigration and the border.
“We all knew that the Biden Administration was going to be bad but none of us imagined just how bad they would be, and how far left they would go,” Trump said.
He said Biden’s reversal of his actions on immigration has resulted in a flood of illegal aliens, especially minors.
“Biden’s radical immigration policies aren’t just illegal—they are immoral, they are heartless, and they are a betrayal of our nation’s core values,” he said.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki brushed off the expected criticism. “We’ll see what he says, but our focus is certainly not on what President Trump is saying at CPAC,” she told reporters.
Nonetheless, Trump said that the party was united apart from a small number of Republicans who voted to impeach him before he was acquitted by the Senate.
“The Republican Party is united. The only division is between a handful of Washington D.C. establishment political hacks, and everybody else all over the country,” he said.
On Friday, Trump began his efforts to help the GOP win back the House and the Senate as he had said he would do, endorsing Max Miller, a former aide who is seeking to oust Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, who voted in favor of Trump’s impeachment.
At his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump has been quietly meeting with aides and senior party leaders as he remains active in the party post-presidency.
Aides have been working this past week to develop benchmarks for those seeking his endorsement to make sure the candidates are serious and have set up full-fledged political and fundraising organizations before he gets involved.
They are also planning a new super PAC that could raise unlimited amounts of money, though one aide cautioned they were still deciding whether to create a new entity or repurpose an existing America First super PAC.
By Jill Colvin. NTD contributed to this report.
