USA: Donald Trump, a former president, declared on Saturday that he would carry on with his third run for president even if he were to be indicted.
In advance of his speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump told reporters, "Absolutely, I wouldn't even think about leaving.
Prosecutors looking into, among other things, Trump's handling of classified documents and attempts to have the 2020 election results overturned.
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Trump gave the keynote address at the conference on Saturday night, telling a cheering crowd of supporters that he was in the midst of his "final battle" as he sought to retake the White House.
We're going to complete what we started, he declared. "We'll succeed in our mission. We're going to fight this battle all the way to the finish line.
CPAC used to be a mandatory stop for potential Republican presidential candidates, but this year's event was skipped by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is considered to be one of the strongest potential Trump rivals, as well as other significant likely contenders due to scandal and CPAC's growing alignment with Trump.
The conference this week was a prime example of the former president's enduring appeal to this group of voters. Some attendees wore "MAGA" hats, sequined jackets, and outfits with Trump-themed accessories. Only tepid applause was given to declared and potential candidates who weren't named Trump.
In addition, Trump received 62% of the vote in the annual CPAC straw poll, an unreliable poll of conference attendees. DeSantis came in second with 20% of the vote, and businessman Perry Johnson, who declared his unlikely candidacy there, received 5%.
95% of respondents said they were satisfied with Trump's job as president.
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Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., the third-ranking House Republican, who endorsed Trump days before he formally began his 2024 campaign, said of the audience, "This is an audience that supports President Trump.
Stefanik, the lone member of the House leadership present at the conference, told The Associated Press that Trump remained in charge of the party.
She predicted that President Trump would be the Republican nominee because of his strong position.
The Republican establishment, which is eager to move past the former president, was repeatedly criticized by Trump in his speech as his potential rivals for the presidency were promoting themselves to conservative donors close to his Florida home.
The Republican Party in our country was led by lunatics, neocons, globalists, fanatics for open borders, and fools. But we will never return to the party of Jeb Bush, Karl Rove, and Paul Ryan, he declared.
He also made a subtle jab at DeSantis by denouncing those who advocated privatizing Medicare or raising the Social Security retirement age, ideas that DeSantis had previously supported but has since renounced. Republicans won't tamper with Social Security, DeSantis recently declared.
"If that's their original thought, that's what they always come back to," Trump said to the crowd.
While many prominent Republicans avoided the conference, former secretaries of state Mike Pompeo and Nikki Haley both spoke on Friday and made subtly critical remarks about Trump. Although Haley announced her candidacy, Pompeo has not yet formally announced it. The dangers faced by challengers looking to offer an alternative in a party where Trump is still the dominant force were highlighted by their refusal to name-call him.
Waverly Woods, a Republican activist and marketer from Virginia Beach, Virginia, said that while she likes DeSantis, Trump has first claim on the hearts of many at the conference. "There is no one in that field I want as my president other than Donald J. Trump," she added.
That includes Kim Shourds, who occasionally participates with Woods in regional GOP races and whose vehicle sports a "TRUMP WON" license plate.
DeSantis? She admitted that she likes him, but not enough. Shourds stated that she wants the governor to "let my man come in and run this country" while she is seated. However, not everyone at CPAC agreed.
Despite being "very, very" pleased with Trump's presidency, E. Payne Kilbourn, a retired Navy submarine captain from Neavitt, Maryland, who now writes and promotes carbon dioxide, believes it's time for the party to move on.
Kilbourn, 69, an independent who supports Republicans in general elections, said, "I think Donald Trump's just too toxic for most of the country." Kilbourn wishes Trump would "bow out and just be the guy behind the scenes."
He believes DeSantis is better positioned to eventually win the White House from a strategic standpoint. He stated, "I believe he would have a better chance of winning the election.
