Presidential candidates Donald J. Trump and Nikki Haley are headliners in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) underway through Saturday in Washington, D.C. Ex-President Trump headlines Saturday and former UN Ambassador (under Trump) Haley speaks Friday. 

Other attendees are former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, another yet-to-declare ’24 candidate, former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii Tulsi Gabbard, MyPillow guy Mike Lindell, Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, and usual suspect Reps. Matt Gaetz (FL), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Elise Stefanik (NY) and Lauren Boebert (CO). 

But the list of no-shows is perhaps more impressive for what it says about the latest attempt to extricate the GOP from MAGA. Among them, according to Axios, are presumed and not-yet-declared 2024 presidential candidates Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Trump’s vice president, Mike Pence. 

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel also are conspicuous by their absence. CPAC is receiving no RNC sponsorship money this year, Politico reports. 

Fox Nation, the network’s streaming outlet will skip CPAC, along with Fox News personalities Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham. 

Some of the no-shows may be attending the closed-to-press Club for Growth annual donor convention in Palm Beach, Florida – three miles from Mar-a-Lago – being held concurrently with CPAC. Club for Growth did not invite Trump, according to CBS News, prompting the ex-president to call it “Club for NO Growth” on his Truth Social.

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