Trump to proclaim himself as the future for Republicans in speech

Published
17
In this September 9, 2015 file photo, former president Donald Trump speaks on Capitol in Washington. — AP
In this September 9, 2015 file photo, former president Donald Trump speaks on Capitol in Washington. — AP

Former United States President Donald Trump on Sunday will declare himself the dominant figure in the fractured Republican Party and attack President Joe Biden in his first major appearance since leaving the White House nearly six weeks ago.

“I stand before you today to declare that the incredible journey we began together four years ago is far from over,” Trump will tell the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, according to speech excerpts released by his team.

“We are gathered this afternoon to talk about the future — the future of our movement, the future of our party, and the future of our beloved country,” he will add.

Trump’s tumultuous final weeks in office saw his supporters launch a deadly attack on the US Capitol on January 6 in an attempt to block Congress from certifying Biden’s election victory, a win that Trump falsely claimed was tainted by widespread fraud.

A civil war has erupted within the Republican Party with establishment figures like Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell eager to put Trump in the rear-view mirror and others, like Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham, believing the party’s future depends on the energy of the pro-Trump conservative base.

“The Republican Party is united. The only division is between a handful of Washington D.C establishment political hacks, and everybody else all over the country,” Trump will say.

Trump fervour at the four-day CPAC event has been so strong that Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. declared it “T-PAC” and participants rolled out a golden statue of the former president.

Trump has discussed privately running again for president in 2024, according to advisers, but the speech excerpts gave no hint of what he might do.

“That’s going to be a decision he makes down the road,” Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel told CBS’s 'Face the Nation'.

In the short term, he is making plans to set up a superPAC political organisation to support candidates who mirror his policies, an adviser said.

Trump’s speech will include attacks against Biden to try to position himself as the lead critic of the new president, including on immigration and security along the US border with Mexico, and the slow reopening of schools closed due to the pandemic.

“We all knew that the Biden administration was going to be bad — but none of us imagined just how bad they would be, and how far left they would go,” Trump will say. “Joe Biden has had the most disastrous first month of any president in modern history.”

The Biden White House has made it clear it plans to ignore Trump’s speech.

“Our focus is certainly not on what President Trump is saying” at CPAC, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters last week.

Opinion

Editorial

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...