Former President Donald Trump tore into the GOP establishment at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Sunday for its weak leadership in the Biden era, calling for Republicans with “spines of steel” to bring the party back to power.
“Now more than ever is the time for tough, strong, and energetic Republican leaders who have spines of steel,” Trump told an adoring crowd. “We need strong leadership. We cannot have leaders who show more passion for condemning their fellow Americans than they have ever shown for standing up to Democrats, the media, and the radicals who want to turn America into a socialist country.”
The former president argued that leading GOP figures fail to prioritize their shared goal of defeating Democrats’ liberal policy platforms by training their anger on Trump and his supporters.
“Instead of attacking me and, more importantly, the voters of our movement, top establishment Republicans in Washington should be spending their energy in opposing [President] Biden, [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi, [Sen. Chuck] Schumer, and the Democrats,” he added.
Trump singled out members of Congress who supported his impeachment for condemnation, including Sens. Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, and Lisa Murkowski, as well as Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, who he called a “warmonger.” He vowed to support primary challengers to all of these incumbents, saying, “Get rid of them all.”
