Donald Trump is giving his first speech since leaving office as president at the Conservative Political Action Conference (C-PAC).
His public appearance comes just weeks after he was acquitted during an impeachment trial which saw some members of his own Republican Party vote against him.
The former president is expected to attack the actions being taken by successor Joe Biden in the Florida speech.
The C-PAC appearance represents his continued influence over Republicans.
The mood of the conference so far has been extremely pro-Trump, with loyalists including Texas Senator Ted Cruz and his son Donald Trump Jr. among the speakers confirmed.
Donald Trump’s speech was hotly anticipated by his supporters, given his relative absence from the political spotlight since leaving office.
He remains banned from social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, over his response to January’s deadly riot at the US Capitol.
He has been living at his Mar-a-Lago Florida golf resort since leaving the White House.
According to prepared script excerpts sent by his office ahead of time, Donald Trump will attack early actions by President Joe Biden during the speech – especially on immigration.
He is also set to focus on what he will describe as the future of “our movement” during the speech, amid a divide among some Republicans over the party’s future political direction.
He is expected to say that the “incredible journey” that he and supporters “began together four years ago is far from over”. But Donald Trump is not expected to confirm another presidential run in 2024 yet, according to a senior adviser quoted by CBS.
Donald Trump Acquitted by Senate in Second Impeachment Trial
Impeachment Trial: Senate Votes to Acquit President Trump on Both Charges
Trump Impeachment: Lawyers Accuse Democrats of Seeking to Overturn 2016 Election Result
Donald Trump Jr. trailed his father’s appearance during his own speech on February 26.
He told the audience: “I imagine it will not be what we call a low energy speech, and I assure you that it will solidify Donald Trump and all of your feelings about the MAGA [Make America Great Again] movement as the future of the Republican party.”
Members of the Republican Party remained largely loyal to Donald Trump during his time in office but 10 voted to impeach him in the House of Representatives last month and seven voted to convict him in the subsequent Senate trial. The overall tally, 57-43 in favor of his guilt, fell short of the two-thirds margin needed to convict Donald Trump.
The schism in the party has remained since, with those who have broken rank against him notably absent from the CPAC stage.
The C-PAC, which began in 1974, is seen as the most influential gathering of conservatives and a barometer of the Republican party’s political direction.
Despite losing November’s presidential election and being deeply criticized over the January riot by some of his supporters, reports suggest Donald Trump remains extremely popular among his voting base.
Last week, one poll suggested 46% of surveyed Trump voters would vote for him on a third-party ticket rather than another Republican candidate.
