Former President Donald Trump told friends he would not appear at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida if Mike Pence, his always-loyal vice president, was also on the bill, according to people familiar with his conversations.
Details have emerged as Trump prepares to make his return to the limelight over the weekend with a speech expected to lay out his vision for the future of the Republican Party and include a forceful critique of President Biden’s immigration policies. The strategy is to keep the 45th commander in chief ahead of others mulling a run for the party’s presidential nomination.
He played golf on Sunday with close ally Sen. Lindsey Graham as he huddled with confidants.
The result is growing speculation that he will use his first public appearance since leaving the White House to demonstrate that he retains a firm grip on the party he seized in 2016 and has the poll position for a return to power in 2024.
While some supporters have urged him to use the biggest conservative platform of the year to announce a run, according to a source familiar with discussions, Trump is more interested in making sure potential rivals remain in his shadow while keeping his options open.
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And he remains furious with Pence for refusing to try to block the certification of Biden’s Electoral College victory.
“As far as Trump is concerned, there is no way back for Pence,” a source close to the president said. The source added that Trump did not want to share a stage with his former deputy.
Another source said it was unclear if Trump intended to follow through or was just making an idle threat. And a spokesman for Trump said no such demand was ever made.
The conference runs from Thursday through Sunday in Orlando, Florida. It is usually held in the Washington, D.C., area but was moved because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Most speakers are expected to appear in person.
Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union and a primary organizer of CPAC, said Pence had declined an invitation.
“I’m going to encourage him to come,” he said. “I think the conservative movement and the conservative community want to hear from its leaders and wants to hear from people who want to lead it in the future. That all starts on Friday in Orlando.”
The former vice president has maintained a low profile since leaving office. Although he announced he was joining the Heritage Foundation and has opened an office in Virginia, people close to him say he will be staying out of the headlines for the next few months.
Other speakers slated to appear include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. All are widely viewed as potential 2024 GOP presidential primary contenders.
However, Nikki Haley, who is seen as another strong contender for the party’s nomination, is not on the published list of speakers. Reuters last week reported that Trump turned down a request from Haley for a meeting at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida home, after she criticized him in an interview.
Ambitious Republicans have been beating a path to his luxurious club as they court his endorsement.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee attended a fundraiser for his reelection campaign there on Saturday, while Rep. Lauren Boebert, whose provocative style and promise to carry a gun on Capitol Hill have made her a darling of the Right since winning her Colorado seat in November, was at Trump’s nearby West Palm Beach golf club a day later, according to photographs posted on Instagram.
Even out of power, Trump remains among the most critical of players in Republican politics — if not the most influential. The extent of his hold is clear in a poll published by Suffolk University and USA Today on Sunday, which found that 46% of Republicans would stick with Trump and leave the GOP if he founded a new party. Only 27% said they would stay.
A spokesman for Trump said no request was made for Pence not to appear at the CPAC conference.
“This story is patently false, and these ‘anonymously sourced’ attacks designed to create division are why people distrust the media,” Jason Miller said. “No such demand or request was ever made by President Trump, and in fact, President Trump and Vice President Pence had a great call last week.”
But some of his allies spelled out their hostility to Pence in recent days.
Former White House adviser Peter Navarro said the former vice president’s decision to defy Trump’s order to block the Electoral College certification process ruled him out of the 2024 race.
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“Mike Pence left the presidential race on Jan. 6,” he said on former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon’s radio show.
