Donald Trump explains why ‘certain candidates’ skip CPAC

Image via AP.

Former President Donald Trump, the headliner of this week’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), says he knows why candidates are skipping the event.

In Truth Social posts that omit specific names of non-attendees like Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence, Trump explained the snubs in his latest attempt to assert primacy ahead of what clearly will be a contested GOP Presidential Primary.

“The only reason certain ‘candidates’ won’t be going to CPAC is because the crowds have no interest in anything they have to say. They’ve heard it all before, and don’t want to hear it again. But my speech, on Saturday night, is already a sold out ‘monster.’ They are trying to expand the room and space. We’ll have a great time at CPAC, we always do. See you there, and don’t forget to vote in the important Straw Poll,” Trump said, offering a reminder of the likely news hook from the event.

Trump continues to win straw polls post-presidency, including at the 2022 event (with the surging DeSantis in second) and the 2021 iteration.

One recurrently vocal DeSantis enthusiast trumped up the Governor’s decision to skip CPAC as a smart move this week.

“Take, for example, this weekend. Rather than going to CPAC — which is a completely pro-Donald Trump crowd and having a number at the end that weekend where he’s made an appearance, and then there’s a straw poll and Trump wins the straw poll — rather than that, what’s he doing? He’s going to Dallas and Houston, Texas, and Orange County, California and speaking to the Republican county committees,” Karl Rove said.

“They’re big galas in each one of those places, making a lot of friends and avoiding what is going to be a sure story at the end of it. ‘Oh, well, he came here and he obviously didn’t make a big impact, because Trump still took the CPAC straw poll,’ which is completely meaningless but nonetheless would be the story coming out of the weekend.”

For those interested in the former President’s speech Saturday, he offered a Truth Social preview.

Trump will be “talking about the fact that, obviously, our Country is going to ‘HELL,’ and how to fix it.”

“Also, the Democrats’ use of Radical Left Prosecutors and the WEAPONIZATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT. It is illegal, has never been used and abused like this, and has the potential to bring down our once fair and wonderful Country. These Marxist Thugs have been after me for years, only to help them win elections. In just Two Years, we have become a Third World Failing Nation.”