Trump supporters turn out in force at CPAC

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Welcome to The Hill’s Campaign newsletter

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The Big Story 

Former President Trump and his allies are the undisputed stars of the show at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md.

© Greg Nash/The Hill

Throngs of conservatives have headed to the Washington, D.C., area for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this week, which will feature former President Trump and other VIPs in an unofficial coronation ceremony for his presidential campaign.

 

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Trump’s remaining opponent for this year’s Republican presidential nomination, is not expected to attend. Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is the only ex-Trump rival scheduled to speak.

 

Trump is slated to take the stage at noon Saturday.

 

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and Ohio Sen. JD Vance are among Republicans seen as potential vice presidential candidates who are scheduled to address the crowd. Organizers are planning to hold a rare straw poll this year for the “veepstakes.”

 

Follow live updates from The Hill and tune in.

 

More: The CPAC exhibition hall, known for its kitschy merchandise, this year features a pinball machine modeled off the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

 

CPAC denied media credentials for several organizations, accusing them of being “left-wing” propaganda outlets, but noted they could still attend if they purchased tickets.

 

Essential Reads 

Key election stories and other recent campaign coverage:

Former President Trump  said the former first lady Melania Trump will be out on the campaign trail “quite a bit,” after he was asked if the public should expect to see more of her at events.

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President Biden on Wednesday called this week’s Alabama court ruling that frozen embryos are people a “direct result” of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, with his campaign laying the blame at the feet of former President Trump. “Today, in 2024 in America, women are being turned away from emergency rooms and forced to travel hundreds of miles for health care, while doctors fear prosecution for …

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The Countdown 

Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching:

  • 2 days until the South Carolina GOP primary

  • 12 days until Super Tuesday

  • 257 days until the 2024 presidential election

In Other News 

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

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Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said she thinks President Biden is “more dangerous” than former President Trump, in an interview released Thursday. However, she did make it clear that she thinks neither Trump nor Biden should be the next president. “I have a lot of concerns about Trump regaining the presidency. I have even more concerns about Joe Biden being president. I mean, you look at both of these men and …

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Nearly half of Americans in a new poll said they would back a national 16-week abortion ban after The New York Times reported former President Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, privately expressed support for the measure.  The Economist/YouGov new poll found 48 percent of respondents would support a national ban on abortions after 16 weeks of pregnancy, including 27 percent who strongly support …

Around the Nation 

Local and state headlines regarding campaigns and elections:

  • Nikki Haley doesn’t know how to surrender. So she wins upsets. Or gets humbled. (The Post and Courier)

  • Frustration boils as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, AG Ken Paxton target GOP incumbents (Texas Tribune)

  • ‘Differing priorities’: Hobbs seeks expanded outreach as AZ governor’s staff grows nearly 40% (Arizona Republic)

What We’re Reading 

Election news we’ve flagged from other outlets:

  • DeSantis, in Private Call, Sounds Off on Trump and Conservative News Media (The New York Times)

  • Who will control the House after 2024? From Michigan to California, these are the tight races to watch ( USA Today)

  • Tulsi Takes MAGA Makeover to New Level With Mar-a-Lago Event (The Daily Beast)

Elsewhere Today 

Key stories on The Hill right now:

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A judge in Texas said Thursday that a school’s suspension of a Black teenager because of his dreadlocks does not violate the CROWN Act, which forbids racial hair discrimination.   State District Judge Chap Cain sided with Barbers Hill High School and against 18-year-old Darryl George, who has been on in-school suspension for … Read more

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Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) on Wednesday criticized his Republican colleagues for using a former FBI informant’s claims in their impeachment inquiry even though the statements hadn’t been verified. “We were warned at the time that we received the document outlining this witness’s testimony. … We were warned that the … Read more

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