President Donald Trump speaks with supporters at Joint Base Andrews before boarding Air Force One for the last time as president on January 20, 2021 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
Pete Marovich | Swimming pool | Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump is expected to deliver a keynote speech to close the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida next weekend, sources familiar with the plans told NBC News.
Trump is expected to speak about the future of the Republican Party and Conservative movement, sources familiar with the plan say.
The full line-up has not yet been announced and is subject to change.
The event would be Trump’s first comprehensive, public appearance on camera since he left office last month.
In recent weeks, Trump has continued to rage against top Republicans who oppose him, including Senate Leader Mitch McConnell; Sen. John Thune, No. 2 Republican in the Senate; and former GOP police officer Karl Rove, according to people familiar with the matter.
Trump spokesman Jason Miller responded to CNBC’s request for comment on the matter by emailing, “Fake news. We aim to win back the House and Senate by 2022.”
The former president said he plans to support several primary contenders who support his “Make America Great Again” agenda.
Advisers have told Trump that Republican voters don’t want to see all-out war in the GOP, according to his own strategists. Instead, voters would rather see Trump target Biden and top Democrats, advisers say.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., A Trump defender in Congress, tweeted that Republicans will be rejected by the base of the party if they don’t embrace the former president’s agenda.
Meanwhile, while Trump has avoided his conviction during his second impeachment trial, he is now facing several serious criminal and civil investigations that are harder to report. At least one investigation holds the potential for Trump to be sent to prison if convicted. Since January 20, he has lost protection from prosecution by holding the office of president.
“There are a lot of balls in the air in the potential criminal arena, and if I were Donald Trump I wouldn’t rest easy,” 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 using his comments to boost his conservative base.
The event organizers last year were criticized for their Covid-19 screening precautions after a New Jersey man attending CPAC tested positive for the coronavirus.
This year’s event will run from Thursday, February 25 to Sunday, February 28, with Trump expected to close out the weekend’s events.
– CNBC’s Dan Mangan and Brian Schwartz contributed to this report