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ORLANDO, Florida – Former President Donald Trump in his Sunday address to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) made it clear he would not be creating a new political party, after some speculation last month on what he could.
“We don’t start new parties. You know – they kept saying, ‘He’s going to start a whole new party,’” Trump said. “We have the Republican Party. It will unite and be stronger than ever.”
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Speculation that Trump was considering starting a new party began following the Jan.6 attack on Capitol Hill by a pro-Trump mob. Many Republicans have condemned Trump for calling a rally in Washington, DC, on the same day Congress was due to certify President Biden’s electoral victory. They also said he didn’t do enough to stop the crowd once the situation got dangerous.
Former US President Donald Trump speaks at the Annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort & amp; Convention Center on February 29, 2020 in National Harbor, Maryland. Trump gave the opening address for CPAC 2021. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images)
But outrage within the GOP eventually subsided, and only a handful of GOP MPs and Senators voted to impeach Trump or convict him on charges of inciting an insurgency. As the GOP returned to fully embracing Trump, speculation that he would create a new party has largely died down.
Nonetheless, Sunday was Trump’s most definitive statement that he was committed to the GOP.
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“I’m not starting a new party,” Trump continued. “That was fake news. Fake news, no. Wouldn’t that be great? Let’s start a new party and split our votes so you can never win. No, we don’t care.”
Trump then cited his straw poll figures to CPAC, in which he won by a wide margin.
Trump got 55% of the vote in the poll he was included in, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a distant second place at 21%.
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Trump’s approval rating in the Straw Poll was 97%, with 87% saying they strongly approve of Trump’s work as president. And 68% of people at CPAC in the Straw Poll said Trump should run for president again.
President Donald Trump kisses the American flag as he arrives to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2019, in Oxon Hill, Md., March 2, 2019. Trump hugged an American flag again as he began his speech at CPAC 2021. (AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster)
The straw poll is not a scientific poll. CPAC has billed itself as a pro-Trump rally, meaning the self-selected crowd is likely more pro-Trump than the Republican Party in general. But scientific polls generally show Trump to dominate with the GOP base, although not to the same extent as the CPAC straw poll.
In his speech, the former president also said it will be the GOP that will fight the left after Democrats take over the Senate, House and White House.
“Over the next four years, the courageous Republicans in this room will be at the heart of the effort to oppose radical Democrats, bogus media and their culture of toxic cancellation,” Trump said. “And I want you to know that I will continue to fight by your side. We will do what we have been doing from the start, which is to win.”
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Trump’s speech is CPAC’s last speech, which began Thursday night. Trump was about an hour behind the start time of his speech.
During his speech, Trump also denounced Biden on immigration and reopening schools, hinted he could run for president in 2024, and repeated his false claims that he won the presidential election. from 2020.
Trump also echoed the viral moment from a previous CPAC appearance when he hugged an American flag that was on stage. Trump hugged an American flag in his arms on Sunday as he stepped out to deliver his speech.
Fox Nation is a sponsor of CPAC.
Fox News’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
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