The Conservative Political Action Conference returns to the Washington, D.C., area for the first time since 2020 and will feature several prominent conservative politicians and figures.
CPAC 2023 started on Wednesday and will run through Saturday, with speeches and panels scheduled throughout the four-day conference. Here are some of the notable people set to take the stage.
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Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)
Jordan serves as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He spoke Thursday morning about his vision for the Judiciary Committee’s various investigations into the “Trump-Russia collusion hoax,” the COVID-19 pandemic, and the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Cruz serves as the ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee. He was a presidential candidate in 2016 but does not appear likely to run in 2024. Cruz spoke before the conference Thursday afternoon, suggesting that Dr. Anthony Fauci should be thrown in jail for “lying under oath.”
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH)
Vance won his seat in 2022, defeating Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), and serves on the Senate Banking and Commerce committees. He ripped into Attorney General Merrick Garland, saying “he needs to go” while on a panel with Cruz on Thursday afternoon.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL)
Scott won his seat in 2018 and is up for reelection in 2024. He unsuccessfully challenged Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for the Senate leadership position following the 2022 elections. Scott defended his challenge to McConnell in his speech Thursday afternoon, saying he would “like to apologize to absolutely nobody.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)
Greene serves on the House Homeland Security and Oversight committees, in addition to being on the House select committee on the coronavirus pandemic. She spoke Friday morning, defending herself against attacks by Democrats on her bill that would outlaw transgender surgeries for those under the age of 18. Greene also whipped up boos for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he “wants our sons and daughters to go die in Ukraine.”
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines
Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer for the University of Kentucky, has been an outspoken advocate against biological men competing in women’s sports after having to compete against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022. She blasted the “systemic eradication of women” at the conference Friday morning.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL)
Gaetz serves on the House Armed Services and Judiciary committees. He was known for being one of the lead “never Kevin” congressmen who held up the House speaker vote in January. Gaetz called for the “weaponized” FBI and DOJ to be abolished during a speech Friday morning.
Rep. James Comer (R-KY)
Comer serves as the chairman of the House Oversight Committee. Under his leadership, the Oversight Committee is looking into the Justice Department’s investigations, including into President Joe Biden’s son Hunter. Comer also serves on the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Agriculture Committee. He spoke Friday morning.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL)
Donalds serves on the House Oversight, Budget, and Small Business committees. He addressed the conference on Friday afternoon.
Presidential candidate Nikki Haley
Haley is one of three GOP presidential candidates speaking at CPAC. She served as governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017 and later as ambassador to the United Nations under President Donald Trump from 2017 until 2018. She addressed the conference Friday afternoon by attempting to court voters who are “tired of losing” in a subtle dig at fellow presidential candidate Trump.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Pompeo served as a congressman from Kansas from 2011 until 2017, when he became director of the CIA and later secretary of state under Trump. He is widely seen as a contender for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024 but has not stated whether he will run. Pompeo spoke to attendees Friday afternoon, issuing a stark warning about a “crisis within conservativism” amid a recent string of losses.
Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy
Ramaswamy is the second Republican presidential candidate speaking at CPAC. He is an entrepreneur and author known for the books Woke, Inc. and Nation of Victims. Ramaswamy spoke Friday afternoon, countering calls for a “national divorce,” and calling instead for a “national revival.”
Former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake
Lake was the 2022 Republican nominee for governor in Arizona but lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs in a tight race. She spoke at the Ronald Reagan Dinner on Friday evening, leaning into Trump and claims that the election she lost was stolen.
Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
Gabbard served in Congress from 2013 to 2021 as a Democrat but announced she was leaving the party in 2022 to go independent. She spoke Saturday afternoon, accusing Democrats of becoming the “racists they claim to hate.”
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro
Bolsonaro served as president of Brazil from 2019 until the end of 2022. He lost his reelection bid to leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and left the country for the United States in December 2022. He spoke Saturday afternoon, touting his relationship with former President Donald Trump as “simply exceptional.”
Former President Donald Trump
Trump is the third GOP presidential candidate speaking at CPAC and was the final speaker of the conference. He served as president from 2017 until 2021, losing his reelection bid to President Joe Biden in 2020. Trump announced in November 2022 he would be seeking a second term as president in 2024. The former President spoke Saturday evening, in a lengthy speech where he touched on several policy issues.
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Other notable speakers include Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and John Kennedy (R-LA), Virginia GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Jason Smith (R-MO), and commentator Candace Owens.
Notable conservative figures not attending the conference include Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and former Vice President Mike Pence. DeSantis last attended CPAC in 2022, and Pence last attended the conference in 2020.
