Trump Plots Re-Emergence At CPAC With Shot At Biden Immigration Policy

Topline

President Trump’s return to politics just one month after leaving office will be at next week’s Conservative Political Action Conference, where he will focus on the “future of the Republican Party and the conservative movement” and take aim at Biden’s immigration policies, a source familiar with his plans told Forbes.

Key Facts

Key Background

Trump’s unlikely career in Republican politics can be traced back to a speech he gave to CPAC in 2011, at which he said the U.S. was becoming the “laughingstock of the world,” called out free trade policies and touted his wealth, all of which would become cornerstones of his successful 2016 presidential pitch.

Tangent

While Trump has been unreachable to all but a few members of his inner circle – even reportedly rejecting a request for a meeting from Nikki Haley, his one-time U.N. ambassador – he has allowed several top Republicans in Congress to make the pilgrimage to his Florida estate. That includes both House Minority Whip Steve Scalise and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, to whom he promised to help win back the House in 2022.

What To Watch For

The 2022 cycle could get bloody for the Republicans, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell vowing to get involved in primaries to elevate “electable” candidates and senators splitting on the question of whether Trump should play a major role going forward. Trump has already fired a warning shot at McConnell, blasting him as a “dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack” after he said Trump is “practically and morally responsible” for the Jan. 6 attack.