CPAC welcomes 'competition' among speakers Trump, DeSantis, others ahead of 2024 straw poll

Potential top elections contenders in the 2024 presidential election will take the stage at the 2022 cpac” target=”_blank”>Conservative Political Action Conference<, Florida Gov. ron-desantis” target=”_blank”>Ron DeSantis<, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Florida Sen. Rick Scott are a few of the speakers. 

And as is tradition, the conference is set to include a straw poll, which typically asks attendees to assess the president’s performance, share their feelings on administration policies and give predictions for the 2024 elections” target=”_blank”>election<

“The presidential race is awfully important. The elections in November are critical, and so is getting back the White House in an age where congress” target=”_blank”>Congress<

Schlapp was referring to Trump, who is set to speak at CPAC on Saturday, Feb. 26. Trump, in interviews with Fox News over the last several months, has said he will not make a formal announcement on his 2024 plans until after the midterms in November, but he has hinted that people will be “very happy” with his decision.

Meanwhile, the theme of CPAC 2022 is “Awake, not woke,” which Schlapp told Fox News is a nod at “what’s going on in the country.”

“It is the theme of what’s going on in the country, between what happened in the commonwealth of Virginia and in San Francisco and happened all across the country on Election Day last year, is strangely enough, even in liberal communities, they were like, hey, parents aren’t domestic terrorists, cops aren’t evil, schools should educate kids and not just turn them into communists,” Schlapp said. “The country is starting to wake up from this stupor of somehow if you’re White or you’re Christian, if you’re straight, if you’re a person of faith, if you love the country, you don’t have to be quiet — they’ve quieted us down because they feel like well, you’re privileged, and that has caused people to kind of lay back, and I think that’s over.”

While “Awake, not woke” is CPAC’s theme, Schlapp said others may arise over the course of the conference.

“It comes together in this kind of orchestra, and themes arise — we’ve picked our theme, but what do the speakers believe? They might believe something different, and that’s why I like it, that’s why I think its such an interesting occurrence, because it gives people a chance to express their own views, and people watching it have takeaways,” Schlapp said.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at CPAC, Feb. 26, 2021, in Orlando, Florida. 

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at CPAC, Feb. 26, 2021, in Orlando, Florida. 
(AP Photo/John Raoux)

Schlapp told Fox News that CPAC 2022 will also be the “starting gun” for the midterms in November.

“I’m looking forward to the starting gun going off for this great debate we’re going to have in this country on whether or not the joe-biden” target=”_blank”>Biden<

Some of the panels include “Domestic Terrorists Unite: Lessons from Virginia Parents;” “The First Amendment Fund: Defending the Canceled”; “Fire Fauci” and “Woke, Inc.”

CPAC, held in Orlando at The Rosen Shingle Creek from Thursday, Feb. 24 through Sunday, Feb. 27, will feature speeches and presentations from Trump, DeSantis, Republican lawmakers, former Trump administration officials and more.

CPAC annually brings together more than 18,000 people from college aged to retired, representing conservative organizations, educational institutions, elected officials, thought leaders, media personalities and grassroots activists “who fight for conservatism in America and abroad,” the CPAC website states.

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