Trump sets the stage for 2024 with CPAC speech

(NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump gave voters a preview of what the 2024 presidential election would hold in his speech at the GOP’s annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, but experts say the event may not hold the weight it used to.

“Now it’s about stealing elections. It’s about Trump. It’s about grievance. It’s not really about the conservative movement, as it was when Ronald Reagan went there,” said NewsNation political contributor Chris Hahn.

Hahn was joined by former Republican U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis on “NewsNation Prime,” to break down the tactics Trump used in his speech and what the absence of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis meant.

DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential bid, chose not to attend the event. Trump however, did not mention DeSantis in his speech.

Speaking to Trump’s tendency to call out candidates during his speeches, Davis explained, “It was a hometown crowd. He didn’t have to go beat anybody up because they weren’t around.”

Trump won the unscientific straw poll conducted by CPAC with an overwhelming 62%, despite polls earlier in the year showing him trailing DeSantis.

“The American people want it to be about them, not about the candidate, and Donald Trump’s got a lot of grievances,” said Hahn, discussing what voters want to hear from candidates. “The American people want to know what he can do for them to make their lives better. And they want to hear some details, not just platitudes, which is all we ever hear from this man.”

Watch the panel discussion in the player above.