John Bolton, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations who says he is mulling a run for president in 2016, will speak at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in February, The Daily Caller has learned.
“A Peace Through Strength global strategy for the 21st Century is necessary to preserve those freedoms that will allow us to restore America’s greatness after years of President Obama’s ‘leading from behind,'” Bolton said in a statement provided to TheDC. “CPAC 2015 will be the place where conservatives share knowledge and truth with one another in an effort to protect those freedoms.”
CPAC is set for Feb 25-28 in National Harbor, Md., right outside Washington. Other well-known Republicans who plan to speak so far include Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Bobby Jindal, Rand Paul and Rick Santorum.
“John Bolton has served his country in myriad ways: whether entering the lions’ den at the United Nations as U.S. Ambassador, or taking charge during the Florida presidential recount, or explaining on FOX News how conservatives need to lead on foreign policy,” said Matt Schlapp, the chairman of CPAC’s host, the American Conservative Union.
After November’s elections, Bolton told TheDC he is considering a run for president in 2016 as a Republican.
He argues Republicans need someone who can debate Hillary Clinton on foreign policy.
“Obviously, if the Democrats nominate Hillary,” he said, “her principle ‘qualification’ is her time as secretary of state. So being able to dissect and explain to the voters why she fails as a leader, I think is going to be critical for whomever is interested in the Republican nomination.”