Trump will speak at CPAC
(CNN) – Business and reality show star Donald Trump will speak at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, according to press release from the event's organizer that was distributed by Trump's spokesman Tuesday.
In the release, the American Conservative Union's president Al Cardenas called Trump "an American patriot and success story with a massive following among small government conservatives."
"I look forward to welcoming him back to the CPAC stage next week. Mr. Trump's previous CPAC appearance was hugely popular among our attendees and we expect it will be even more popular this year," Cardenas wrote.
Trump last spoke at CPAC in 2011, when he was publically flirting with a bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. He eventually said he wouldn't seek the nomination since it would mean giving up his reality show "The Apprentice."
That didn't stop Trump from playing a vocal role in the presidential contest, coming out in support of eventual GOP nominee Mitt Romney at an event in Las Vegas. He also helped fundraise for Romney.
Trump also revived his "birther" criticism of President Barack Obama last spring, dismissing the birth certificate released by the White House in 2011 showing Obama was born in Hawaii as fraudulent. Contemporaneously published newspaper announcements also noted the birth in the Aloha State.
During his speech at the event two years ago, Trump criticized Ron Paul as unelectable, eliciting boos from supporters of the then-Texas congressman.
CPAC is considered a key speaking engagement for any Republican thinking about running for president in 2016. Politicians who are thought to be considering presidential bids and are on the CPAC speaking list include Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
Also on the roster are Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who was a 2012 Republican presidential candidate; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; and Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.
Mitt Romney, the GOP's 2012 presidential nominee, will also speak at the conference.
But there has also been a notable omission from the speaking list: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. A person close to CPAC said last month Christie wasn't invited to speak at the conservative conference.
CNN's Steve Brusk and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
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and the hits just keep on coming...
Losers...past, present, and future. The GOP is doomed......... and I love it
How's that re-brand comming along? Republicans........all you can do is laugh at em. Well, that and shake your head.
..thus forfeiting CPAC's last shread of credibility. Oh, heck. Who's kidding who? CPAC has zero credibility – nothing to lose by inviting the Donald or anyone else. The description of CPAC as the bar scene from Star Wars is very appropriate.
Isn't the clown car full by now?
CPAC will NOT invite Gov. Christie, who is one of the most popular and efective elected officials in the country, but they WILL invite the King of the BIRTHERS?! The Grand Old Tea Party has unquestionably "jumped the shark"!
Of course, Trump. They'll slip the Grand Limbaugh in at the last minute. Guaranteed.
They booked time for his tinfoil toupee to say a few words as well.
More clowns, CPAC needs more clowns.
This clown sure has been silent the past 4 months. Anyone that believes the GOP is planning to change doesn't have a brain in their heads. And why should they change? They are counting on less blacks voting and more voter suppression. Even if they don't legally win, they will by cheating.
What a pathetic place where skin color decides how far you will go.
The party of Stupid strikes again...
Every day, I say a "Thank You" to The Lord for making this boob a Republican!
I just love beating this guy up.
Trump, go back to your silly shows.
.
looney tunes
Oh to be a fly on the wall..........
The CPA likes the idiot Trump, but snubs the practical candidate Christie. Hmmm, how do you spell irrelevant?
Who's left from 2012 that hasn't been announced yet? Soon now the Grand Old Party is going to have to start rebranding the rebranded (that helped lose last two elections).
There's another related article on the Political Ticker, folks.
"Not inviting Christie to CPAC is 'suicide' for GOP, King says" was posted 3 days ago, March 1st, 2013 @ 07:40 PM ET
good luck folks
Give. Us. A. Break. Haven't we been subjected to enough of these buffoons?
If you are going to have a gathering of the goof's, you'd better invite the goofiest of them all.
Let me get this straight – Trump who is not or never will be an elected person for any office gets to speak, and the RNC snubs Christie from NJ, the most popular republican they have seen in years! The republican party is a joke when they invite this TV joker with bad hair!
Rick Perry is a Fraud
Oh BOY! This outta be hilarious.
How many losers can you pack into one space? Ask CPAC.
That's the most loose definition of "success story" I've ever seen.