Politics

Speakers Lament Trump’s Rise As CPAC Kicks Off

REUTERS/Las VegasSun/Steve Marcus

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The annual Conservative Political Action Conference kicked off Thursday with speakers implicitly lamenting the rise of Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump in their party.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, the former presidential candidate and the first speaker of the day, didn’t say Trump’s name but told the audience of conservatives: “Some of you might be confused or — dare I say — upset about what’s happening in the presidential election. But I’m going to offer you some enthusiasm, some optimism today, and tell you no matter what’s happening there, the conservative movement is alive and well in states all across America.”

GOP Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, who has previously vowed not to vote for Trump if he’s the Republican nominee, didn’t say Trump’s name either but gave a speech that sounded at times like an argument against the New York businessman.

“I am anti-establishment,” Sasse said. “But what we need most of all is not just someone who wants to breathe fire on Washington, but wants to breathe passion into our children for a constitutional recovery because that’s how we will actually make America great again.”

Sasse also said: “You should be listening to presidential candidates and ask, do they, like Reagan, believe in limited government? Do they, like those of us from the happy champions of the party of Abraham Lincoln, do they believe in equality under the law? Do they believe in the dignity every man, woman and child of every race and every creed to be a part of the American experiment together? Do we believe that fatherless little black boys in the city will feel invited into the Republican Party?”

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who dropped out of the Republican race after Iowa and endorsed [crscore]Marco Rubio[/crscore], acknowledged the uneasiness some conservatives have with the state of the GOP race.

“I’m a conservative,” Santorum said. “But what I would say is there are a lot of conservatives here today, all across this country, who are scared. They’re scared about what’s going on right now. They’re nervous about what’s happening in this presidential race. They’re seeing the conservative movement, the Republican Party, potentially being torn up. They’re nervous as all heck as to what they’re going to do.”

The CPAC conference continues throughout Saturday and all the remaining GOP presidential candidates are making appearances: Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Texas Sen. [crscore]Ted Cruz[/crscore] are speaking Friday, as is former neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who is expected to address his future in the race during his speech.

Trump, who has drawn big crowds at CPAC in past years — though, could see protestors this year — and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio are both scheduled to give speeches on Saturday.

Others set to speak to CPAC on Thursday include House Speaker [crscore]Paul Ryan[/crscore], Utah Rep. [crscore]Mia Love[/crscore], Sen. [crscore]Mike Lee[/crscore], Rep. [crscore]Marsha Blackburn[/crscore] and even former astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Sean Hannity of Fox News is speaking to attendees Thursday evening.

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