President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at Andrews Joint Base before boarding Air Force One for the last time as President on January 20, 2021 at Andrews Joint Base, Maryland.
Pete Marovich | Pool | Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump is expected to deliver a speech to end the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, next weekend, sources familiar with the plans told NBC News.
Trump is expected to talk about the future of the Republican Party and the conservative movement, say sources familiar with the plan.
The full schedule has not yet been announced and is subject to change.
The event would be Trump’s first extended public appearance on camera since he stepped down last month.
In the past few weeks, Trump has continued to rage at the top Republicans who opposed him, including Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell; Senator John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate; and former Republican political agent Karl Rove, according to people familiar with the matter.
Trump spokesman Jason Miller responded to CNBC’s request for comment by email: “False news. We are focused on winning back the House and Senate in 2022.”
The former president said he plans to support several primary candidates who support his “Make America Great Again” agenda.
Counselors told Trump that Republican voters do not want to see total war in the Republican Party, according to their own strategists. Instead, voters prefer to see Trump focus his attacks on Biden and the top Democrats, advisers say.
Representative Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., A Trump supporter in Congress, tweeted that Republicans will be rejected by the party base if they do not adopt the ex-president’s agenda.
Meanwhile, while Trump avoided conviction in his second impeachment trial, he now faces several serious criminal and civil lawsuits that may be more difficult to win. At least one investigation carries the potential for Trump to be sent to prison if convicted. On January 20, he lost the protection of the prosecution while serving as president.
“There are a lot of balls in the air in the potential crime arena, and if I were Donald Trump, I wouldn’t be resting,” said Joseph Tacopina, a leading criminal defense attorney in New York City.
Trump spoke at CPAC several times during his presidency, often making some of his longest speeches, and used his comments to energize his conservative base.
Event organizers last year were criticized for their Covid-19 screening precautions after a New Jersey man who attended CPAC tested positive for the coronavirus.
This year’s event will take place from Thursday, February 25 to Sunday, February 28, with Trump scheduled to end the weekend’s events.
– CNBC’s Dan Mangan and Brian Schwartz contributed to this report