Donald Trump’s campaign announced today that he is pulling out of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), an annual right-wing event put on by the American Conservative Union, which Trump was scheduled to address tomorrow morning.
Several conservative activists had been planning to protest Trump at the event.
His campaign released a statement saying that the candidate will instead hold a rally in “Witchita, Kanasas” and return to CPAC as president of the United States:
Donald Trump statement on skipping CPAC pic.twitter.com/MW74kBr38o
— Colin Campbell (@BKcolin) March 4, 2016
CPAC took a shot at Trump in its message about the cancellation:
Very disappointed @realDonaldTrump has decided at the last minute to drop out of #CPAC -- his choice sends a clear message to conservatives.
— CPAC (@CPAC) March 4, 2016
So far, almost all of the speakers have ignored Trump’s ascendancy to GOP front-runner, seemingly on orders from CPAC not to attack him, and have instead pretended that the conservative movement has become more diverse, tolerant and hip even as the party is on the verge of nominating a candidate who courts white nationalists, directs supporters to beat up protesters, calls for the military to commit war crimes and wants to ban the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims from entering the U.S.
