The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) begins Wednesday, attracting conservatives at home and abroad, but the anti-Trumpers want everyone to know they are holding a counter-summit, which they claim is about “rebuilding principled leadership,” but is openly “anti-Trump.”
This year’s CPAC takes place February 21 to February 24 at the Gaylord Resort and Conference Center in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside the U.S. capital. Former President Donald Trump will make history, breaking Ronald Reagan’s record by appearing for the 14th time, and international conservatives — including Argentine President Javier Milei, former British Prime Minister Liz Truss and the president of El Salvador Nayib Bukele — will be in attendance as well.
But the Never Trumpers said they are holding a counter-event, called the Principles First Summit, which they claim will gather hundreds of “pro-democracy, anti-Trump conservatives and centrists,” starting Friday.
Some of the anti-Trump figures highlighted for the counter-summit include George Conway, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Bill Kristol, failed Trump challenger Asa Hutchinson, and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, the last of whom voted to impeach Trump.
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Notably, participating organizations for this event include the American Coalition for Ukraine, The Dispatch, The Trinity Forum, and the Purple Principle.
Meanwhile, CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp expects a successful turnout, describing CPAC as the “anti-World Economic Forum,” or “Wexit.”
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“We’re Wexit. [The] World Economic Forum exit. Let’s put pressure on companies to not deal with these people. Let’s put pressure on our politicians to not play footsie with these people,” Schlapp said during an appearance on Breitbart News Saturday, explaining what the people who attend CPAC truly believe.
“We’re people who love people across the globe. We just believe in America as a nation is a unique thing. We’re nationalists. We want to support our nation. And by the way, all these world leaders who are coming over, they’re not asking for money. They’re not asking for us to do anything other than let them solve their problems and help them be independent of these globalists who probably are the ones who caused the problems,” Schlapp stated, also noting the importance of the upcoming election and explaining that Trump — whom CPAC endorsed — “understands he doesn’t get this done without this great grassroots army.”