Some regular faces won’t be in attendance a this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference as former President Donald Trump cements his grip on the party.
Instead, the conference will welcome Trump for a keynote speech and the lineup is packed with loyalists and former administration officials. Dissent is not allowed this year.
Here’s a look at some who are not attending, either by CPAC’s choice or their own:
- Mitch McConnell, Senate minority leader — The highest-ranking Republican in Washington was not invited to the conference this year.
- Mitt Romney, U.S. senator — The 2012 Republican presidential nominee has become an outspoken critic of Trump, making him a pariah among Trump’s supporters. He voted to impeach the president — twice.
- Mike Pence, former vice president — Pence has said he plans to follow the tradition of laying low during the first few months of a new administration.
- Nikki Haley, former U.N. ambassador — The former ambassador to the U.N. during the Trump administration was invited to CPAC but declined.
- Nikki Haley, former U.N. ambassador — The former ambassador to the U.N. during the Trump administration was invited to CPAC but declined.
- Rand Paul, U.S. senator — The libertarian-leaning firebrand from Kentucky won CPAC straw polls from 2013 to 2015, but has skipped more recent conferences.
- Liz Cheney, U.S. House Republican Conference Chair — Cheney drew ire from Trump backers when she voted to impeach him for his role in inciting the riot on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.
Popular GOP Governors — Several popular Republican governors are not expected to attend, including Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Vermont Governor Phil Scott. All three have criticized Trump.