A major conservative donor retreat is happening this weekend and former President Trump is not invited.
But there will be some big names at the Club for Growth retreat, none bigger than Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Here’s more via Newsmax:
Former President Donald Trump will not speak at Club for Growth’s donor retreat this week, while a slate of budding 2024 Republican presidential primary candidates will attend.
As The Hill reported Monday, the declared or potential candidates slated to attend the retreat include: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (official candidate for RNC nomination), former Vice President Mike Pence, and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu.
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who formally declared his candidacy last week, will also attend the retreat, along with Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were reportedly asked to attend, but likely will not.
Earlier this month, Trump hinted at his distaste for the decision by writing a scathing rebuke of Club for Growth on his Truth Social account. He characterized the nonprofit as “an assemblage of political misfits, globalists, and losers.”
“The Club For NO Growth,” Trump wrote, “fought me incessantly and rather viciously during my presidential run in 2016. They said I couldn’t win, I did, and won even bigger in 2020, with millions of more votes than ’16, but the Election was Rigged & Stollen.”
The move to exclude Trump, the only official candidate not given a slot, comes after the former president’s relationship with Club for Growth was severely damaged last year, due to his endorsement of now-Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, during the Ohio Republican Senate primary.
At the time, the Club endorsed former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel for the Republican nomination and subsequently ran attack ads criticizing the former president’s decision to back Vance.
Yeah the feeling between Trump and Club for Growth is mutual. Trump probably wouldn’t attend even if invited.
But you can bet he’ll be on Truth Social bashing the event and some of its speakers as it is happening.
If the event’s speakers are livestreamed, we’ll find it and bring it to you then.