一年一度的保守派政治行动会议周四在德克萨斯州达拉斯举行，这是保守派最大的聚会之一，自1974年成立以来，对共和党候选人来说是一个重要的竞选站。
今年，组织者希望在即将到来的中期周期之前激发越来越多的选民，目的是将共和党当选官员的崩溃“红色浪潮”带到国会。
得克萨斯州州长格雷格·阿博特(Greg Abbott)、极右翼的匈牙利总理维克托·奥尔班(Viktor Orban)、福克斯新闻频道主播兼共和党煽动者和福克斯新闻频道主持人肖恩·哈尼蒂(Michael Bloomberg)启动了会议，重点关注移民、民主党的弱点和大企业。尽管最近转向后罗伊时代的美国，但很少提到堕胎问题。
周六晚上为期三天的大会上，唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)将在2024年再次竞选总统。这位前总统最后一次讲话是在7月下旬，在华盛顿的美国第一政策研究所和转折点美国活动上，他主要关注促进严厉的刑事司法议程。
President Donald Trump hugs and kisses the American flag during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Md., Feb. 29, 2020.
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他将于周五在威斯康辛州的沃克夏，在支持州长共和党候选人蒂姆·米歇尔的集会上，先于CPAC发表讲话。
阿博特缺席了去年的达拉斯大会，他是周四第一个高调发言的人，加入了一个题为“德克萨斯州:红色大浪潮的开始”的小组
他吹嘘自己与德克萨斯州新的商业居民特斯拉(Tesla)的埃隆马斯克(Elon Musk)的友谊，谈到他用巴士运送非法移民到华盛顿，并表明拉丁美洲人越来越倾向于共和党政客。
“德克萨斯相信自由，德克萨斯相信个人的力量。我们想要安全的社区，安全的边界。我们希望在孤星之州削减你们的财产税，因为我们知道那是你们的钱，”阿博特在与CPAC主席马特·施拉普和CPAC高级研究员梅塞德斯·施拉普的小组讨论会上对欢呼的人群说。
“保持德克萨斯的红色。解雇南希·佩洛西，弹劾马约尔卡斯，让美国走上正轨。”
对潜在的2024年总统竞选的猜测一直伴随着阿博特，他激励人们谈论孤星州的潜在经济增长。
“就在今年5月，德克萨斯州成为财富500强公司总部的所在地，比美国其他任何一个州都多，”他称赞道。
他还抨击了加利福尼亚州州长加文·纽瑟姆，这位民主党人最近将目标对准了阿博特和佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯(Ron DeSantis)等共和党人，同时人们也在谈论他自己对2024年民主党总统候选人提名的雄心。
纽瑟姆以德克萨斯州的“心跳法案”为蓝本，通过制定新的加州枪支限制法来抨击德克萨斯州州长，该法案禁止怀孕六周后堕胎。这位加州州长还在《奥斯汀美国政治家报》、《休斯顿纪事报》和《埃尔帕索时报》上刊登整版广告，批评阿博特在堕胎权和枪支法律上的立场。
“德克萨斯人最想去的州是加利福尼亚。为什么有人会从德州搬到加州?这是因为他们喜欢加文·纽瑟姆式的自由主义，”艾伯特说。“我们正在进行一个交流项目，”他开玩笑说。“我们得到了(加州的)保守派，我们给了他们我们的自由派。”
其他几位德克萨斯州保守派人士计划在CPAC发表讲话，包括周五上午的特德·克鲁兹参议员，周五晚上的德克萨斯州司法部长肯·帕克斯顿。最近当选的众议员Mayra Flores也将发言。副州长丹·帕特里克在周四下午发表了讲话。
周四，在题为“我们如何战斗”的演讲中，欧尔班与阿博特一起，刚刚在新泽西州前总统贝德明斯特高尔夫俱乐部与特朗普会面。他重复了一些最具争议的观点，抨击LGBTQ问题、移民以及基督教在整个西方世界的衰落。
“我们的价值观使我们免于重复历史的错误。纳粹和共产主义的恐怖之所以发生，是因为欧洲大陆的西方国家放弃了他们的基督教价值观。今天的进步人士也打算这么做。他们想放弃西方价值观，”他说。
“全球主义者都见鬼去吧，我去了德克萨斯州，”欧尔班在结束讲话时说。
随后，汉尼提发表了一篇言辞激烈的演讲，首先谈到了周二亚利桑那州共和党州长初选中正在进行的计票工作中的“选举诚信”。
“我们仍然不知道卡莉·雷克是否赢得了州长竞选。为什么不呢?如果他们不能在24小时内清点选票，我们怎么能指望我们的选举有诚信呢?”他说。
汉尼提还号召人们关注共和党在即将到来的中期选举中的机会。
“我们会让美国回到正轨。然后我们会赢得2024年的比赛，然后我们会回到赛场。我们将成为里根所说的那座美丽的山城。让我们以此为目标。让这成为我们的梦想。让我们祈祷吧。以耶稣的名义。你可以说耶稣，这是CPAC，”他说。
阿博特和欧尔班、帕特里克和汉尼蒂的出场也将由和其他高调的共和党人物加入，包括前副总统候选人和前阿拉斯加州州长萨拉·佩林、众议员吉姆·乔丹、俄亥俄州共和党人和前住房和城市发展部长本·卡森。
特朗普支持的亚利桑那州州长候选人卡莉·莱克也将发言。这位前福克斯新闻频道本地主播目前等待官方结果虽然她已经在多个场合宣布胜利，并表示如果结果对她的竞选不利，她不会让步。
在特朗普被发现一周后，特朗普的前顾问史蒂夫·班农也在CPAC周六晚上的牧场主舞会上担任主旨发言人犯有藐视国会罪拒绝配合对1月6日国会大厦暴动的调查。
CPAC还将举行著名的民意测验，这是一项历史上很受欢迎的竞赛，旨在衡量共和党领导人在党内的受欢迎程度。
今年将有两次单独的民意调查，一次有特朗普，另一次没有，特朗普自2019年以来赢得了每一场比赛。
CPAC的主要候选人包括川普、德桑蒂斯、前副总统迈克·彭斯、克鲁兹、密苏里州参议员乔希·霍利、南达科他州州长克里斯蒂·诺姆和前国务卿迈克·蓬佩奥。参选的还有前南卡罗莱纳州州长妮基·黑利、佛罗里达州参议员马尔科·卢比奥、肯塔基州参议员兰德·保罗、犹他州参议员米特·罗姆尼和弗吉尼亚州州长格伦·扬金。
没有特朗普的2024年民意调查将改为小唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump Jr .)以及上述所有潜在的候选人。
德桑蒂斯出现在1997年举行的年度保守党政治行动会议上佛罗里达州奥兰多，二月作为最有可能与前总统唐纳德·川普竞争的潜在共和党总统候选人，以28%的得票率位居第二，远远超过其他共和党候选人，包括其他CPAC发言人蓬佩奥、诺姆和克鲁兹，他们的得票率都不到2%。
CPAC convention kicks off in Dallas ahead of Trump keynote speech Saturday night
The annual Conservative Political Action Conference got underway Thursday in Dallas, Texas, one of the largest gatherings of conservatives and, since its inception in 1974, a crucial campaign stop for Republican hopefuls.
This year, organizers are hoping to galvanize a growing base of voters ahead of the upcoming midterm cycle with the aim of bringing a crashing "red wave" of GOP elected officials to Congress.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, far-right Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Fox News Anchor and GOP firebrand and Fox News host Sean Hannity kicked off the conference, focusing on migration, the weakness of Democrats, and big business. There was little mention of the issue of abortion despite the recent shift to a post-Roe America.
Headlining the three-day convention on Saturday night is Donald Trump who has teased running again president in 2024. The former president last spoke in late July at America First Policy Institute and Turning Point USA events in Washington where he focused primarily on promoting a harsh criminal justice agenda.
He'll speak ahead of CPAC on Friday in Waukesha, Wisconsin, at a rally in support of Tim Michels, a Republican candidate for governor.
Abbott, who was absent from last year's Dallas convention, was the first high-profile speaker on Thursday, joining a panel titled, "Texas: The Start of the Big Red Wave."
He touted his friendship with Texas' new business resident, Elon Musk of Tesla, addressed his busing of illegal immigrants to Washington and signified a growing trend of Latinos leaning toward Republican politicians.
"Texas believes in freedom Texas believes in the power of the individual. We want to have safe communities, a secure border. We want to cut your property taxes here in the Lone Star State because we know that is your money," Abbott said to a cheering crowd on the panel with CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp and CPAC Senior Fellow Mercedes Schlapp.
"Keep Texas red. Fire Nancy Pelosi, impeach Mayorkas and put America on the right track."
Speculation of a potential 2024 presidential bid has long followed Abbott, who energized the crowd talking about the potential economic growth in the Lone Star State.
"It was just in May this year that Texas became home to more Fortune 500 company headquarters than any other state in the United States of America," he lauded.
He also took jabs at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, who has recently targeted with Republican peers like Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis while chatter swirls about his own ambitions for a 2024 the Democratic presidential nomination.
Newsom has swung at the Texas governor by modeling a new California gun restriction law after Texas' "heartbeat act," which prohibits abortions after as early as six weeks into pregnancy. The California governor has also run full-page ads in the Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle and El Paso Times to criticize Abbott's stances on abortion rights and gun laws.
"The number one state Texans are moving to is California. Why would someone from Texas move to California? It's because they like the Gavin Newsom type of liberalism," Abbott said. "We have an exchange program going on," he joked. "We're getting the [Californian] conservatives, we're sending them our liberals."
Several other Texas conservatives are scheduled to speak at CPAC, including Sen. Ted Cruz on Friday morning, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday evening. Recently elected Rep. Mayra Flores is also slated to speak. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick spoke on Thursday afternoon.
Along with Abbott on Thursday, in a speech titled "How We Fight," was Orban -- fresh off of meeting with Trump at the former president's Bedminster, New Jersey, Golf Club. He repeated some of his most controversial views, railing against LGBTQ issues and migration and a decline in Christianity across the Western world.
"Our values save us from repeating history's mistakes. The horrors of Nazis and Communists happened because Western states in Continental Europe abandoned their Christian values. And today's progressives are planning to do the same. They want to give up on Western values," he said.
"The globalists can all go to hell, I have gone to Texas," Orban said as he closed his remarks.
Hannity then delivered a fiery speech, beginning with comments about "election integrity" in the ongoing vote counting in Arizona's GOP gubernatorial primary on Tuesday.
"We still don't know if Kari Lake won that race for governor. Why not? How do we expect to have integrity in our elections if they can't count the votes in 24 hours?" he said.
Hannity also rallied the crowd about GOP chances in the coming midterm elections.
"We'll get America back on track. And then we'll win and 2024 and then we'll be back in the ballgame. And we will be that that beautiful city on a hill that Reagan spoke about. Let's make that our goal. Let's make that our dream. Let's make that our prayer. In Jesus name. You can say Jesus, this is CPAC," he said.
Abbott and Orban, Patrick and Hannity's appearances will also be joined by and other high-profile Republican figures, including former vice presidential candidate and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.
Trump-endorsed Arizona gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake is also slated to speak. The former local Fox News anchor is currentlyawaiting official resultsfrom the state's Republican primary, though she has already declared victory on multiple occasions and has indicated that she would not concede if the results weren't favorable to her campaign.
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon is also in the lineup as the keynote speaker at CPAC's Saturday night Cattleman's Ball, a week after he was foundguilty of contempt of Congressfor refusing to to cooperate with investigations into the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.
CPAC will also feature its famed straw poll, a historically popular contest for gauging how popular Republican leaders are within the party.
This year will notably feature two separate straw polls -- one with and another without Trump, who has won every one of the contests since 2019.
The CPAC main ballot will include Trump, DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, Cruz, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Also on the ballot are former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
The 2024 straw poll without Trump will instead feature Donald Trump Jr., along with all the aforementioned potential hopefuls.
DeSantis emerged from the annual Conservative Political Action Conference held inOrlando, Florida, in Februaryas the potential GOP presidential candidate most competitive with former President Donald Trump, coming in second at 28% and far more favored than other GOP prospects, including other CPAC speakers Pompeo, Noem and Cruz, who all got less than 2%.
