Pompeo, Haley get in Trump digs
Presidential aspirants make case at CPAC
OXON HILL, Md. — Two leading Republicans took veiled jabs at former President Donald Trump at an annual gathering of conservatives Friday, knocking “celebrity leaders” not in tune with reality while noting winnable elections that had been lost as they urged a party course correction ahead of the 2024 presidential contest.
“We can’t become the left, following celebrity leaders with their own brand of identity politics, those with fragile egos who refuse to acknowledge reality,” former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an afternoon speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who launched her campaign last month, hit on similar themes, noting the party has lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections.
“Our cause is right but we have failed to win the confidence of a majority of Americans. That ends now. If you’re tired of losing, put your trust in a new generation,” Haley said.
Haley and Pompeo were among a handful of announced or potential Republican presidential candidates who attended the CPAC event, which was once a must-stop for GOP hopefuls but has been less of a draw this year.
Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina skipped the event this year as it’s been dimmed by controversy and its overt homage to Trump.
Like Haley, Pompeo noted recent Republican losses over the years and blamed the party for its shortcomings.
“Losing is bad because losing is bad. But the principles that we stand for are what’s really at risk. And it’s not a political problem.
The problem is that the losses are a symptom of something much bigger. It’s a crisis in conservatism,” he said. “We’ve lost confidence that we are right.”
In an interview before his speech, Pompeo told The Associated Press that he had chosen to attend this year’s event because it’s “a great group of people who represent a broad swath of our party.”
He brushed aside the significance of Saturday’s straw poll of CPAC attendees on their 2024 presidential preference, an unscientific survey that Trump is expected to win.