Trump to tell CPAC he is Republican 'presumptive 2024 nominee'

Donald Trump will reportedly tell the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida this week he is the man to drain the Washington swamp – as Republicans’ “presumptive 2024 nominee”.

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Trump will address CPAC on Sunday, his subject the future of the Republican party. On Monday, citing anonymous sources, the news site Axios reported his plan to assume the mantle.

An unnamed “longtime adviser” was quoted as saying Trump’s speech to the rightwing event will be a “show of force” with the message: “I may not have Twitter or the Oval Office, but I’m still in charge.”

A named source, close adviser Jason Miller, said: “Trump effectively is the Republican party. The only chasm is between Beltway insiders and grassroots Republicans around the country. When you attack President Trump, you’re attacking the Republican grassroots.”

Thousands have left the party since the Capitol attack of 6 January, which Trump incited in his attempt to overturn an election defeat he has not conceded, and in which five people including a police officer died.

But polling of those left shows the former president with a clear lead over a range of potential 2024 candidates, supportive of him and not, in a notional primary.

Ten members of the House voted to impeach Trump a second time over the Capitol riot and seven senators voted with Democrats to convict. That was short by 10 votes of the majority needed but it made it the most bipartisan impeachment ever.