Several prominent anti-Trump Republicans, including Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), will be hosting a separate “counterprogramming” event that intends to serve as a rival to the upcoming Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
As Breitbart reports, the “Principles First Summit” will take place from February 26th to February 27th, the last two days of the larger and more popular CPAC event, which is being held in Orlando, Florida. The anti-Trump event will be held in Washington, D.C. at the National Press Club.
“Principles First is excited to announce a two-day grassroots summit at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on February 26-27, 2022,” the group announced in a statement, “focused on discussing and advancing a more principled politics in the United States.” The group did not specify exactly what kind of “principles” it considers to be best for the country.
“The strength of our republic depends upon the moral conviction of our elected officials,” the vague statement continued. “If we don’t pick trustworthy people to lead us, they will bring the character of the country down with them. Unethical and immoral behavior can never become the norm.”
Besides the two members of Congress, other prominent guests who will be featured include Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan (R-Ga.), Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R-Ga.), and disgraced former Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, who admitted under oath to repeatedly attempting to block the foreign policy of the Trump Administration since he believed it went against a so-called “inter-agency consensus.”
In an interview with CBS, Heath Mayo, the founder of Principles First, referred to the event as the “counterprogramming of CPAC” and said that “We want to come together in a visual show of support for people who have taken stands for ideas when it hasn’t been comfortable.”
“You don’t see those folks, yet, in rooms that are energized,” Mayo continued. “But I think the energy is there. We’ll see how many folks show up.”
Principles First held its inaugural summit in 2020, with only a few dozen people in attendance. CPAC, by contrast, is regularly attended by thousands and features most of the biggest names in conservative politics. Former President Donald Trump is set to speak on Sunday the 27th.
Cheney and Kinzinger have all but been completely alienated from the Republican Party for their frequent criticisms of the popular former president, culminating in their decision to serve on Nancy Pelosi’s committee investigating the peaceful protests at the United States Capitol on January 6th, the only two Republicans to do so. Since then, both have been censured by the Republican National Committee (RNC), with Kinzinger announcing his retirement this November; Cheney faces multiple primary challengers in her re-election bid, including Harriet Hagemen, who has been endorsed by both Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).