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CPAC's dangerous embrace of Trump | CNN

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Opinion byLink Copied!Ad FeedbackEditor’s Note: Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM radio’s daily program “The Dean Obeidallah Show” and a columnist for The Daily Beast. Follow him . The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View on CNN.&nbsp;—&nbsp;What happens when you incite an insurrection to prevent the congressional certification of the 2020 election results? Turns out you get invited to speak at a high-profile gathering of GOP elected officials and conservative activists. As outrageous as that appears, this is exactly what we’re seeing with the American Conservative Union’s to speak at this week’s annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando.To be clear, I’m not urging CPAC to cancel Trump’s speech. Rather, my hope is that all Americans will use the event to reflect on the dangerous developments for our democracy from the right. First, the majority of GOP members of Congress refused to hold Trump accountable for his two months of nonstop lies about the 2020 election and his incitement of the January 6 attack – as we saw with only 17 of the in the Senate and House voting to impeach or convict Trump.Now CPAC, which as “the largest and most influential gathering of conservatives in the world,” is going a step further by celebrating the man who spewed the “Big Lie” and who encouraged people to storm our Capitol. Indeed, countless insurrectionists point blank they attacked the Capitol to “Stop the Steal” for Trump, with some proudly declaring during the deadly insurrection, “” and that they wereNotably, Vice President Mike Pence – who rejected Trump’s calls not to certify President Joe Biden’s electoral win – is reported to have declined an invitation to speak at the gathering.Even CPAC’s schedule appears to be crafted to further Trump’s Big Lie. Under the guise of “Protecting Elections,” the conference will feature seven panel discussions on election fraud and irregularities despite Trump’s own homeland security officials telling us the November 3 vote was The – if indicative of the content – suggest that speakers will seek to reaffirm Trump’s baseless thesis the election was stolen.One of them is subtitled “Other culprits: Why Judges &amp; Media Refused to Look at the Evidence.” In reality, there were by Trump and his allies including a in Arizona that all went against Trump. Others have names like “Failed States (PA, GA, NV, oh my!)” – which focus on states where Trump disputed his loss – and “The Left Pulled the Strings, Covered It Up and Even Admits It.”This all sets the table for Trump’s speech, scheduled to close the conference on Sunday afternoon. While that Trump will speak about “the future of the Republican Party and the conservative movement,” we know Trump typically talks about whatever he wants. That likely means he will further spew lies about the election being stolen, as he did Wednesday when he to Fox News to ostensibly talk about the passing of Rush Limbaugh. Instead, Trump pivoted to the election telling the Fox News host, “Rush thought we won, and so do I, by the way. I think we won substantially.” Trump then added, as he again raised the specter of violence, that if this happened to the Democrats, “you would have had riots going on all over the place.”Biden seems to recognize that statements like these are a threat to US democracy. On Friday, in a speech from the White House to the international Munich Security Conference that “in so many places, including in Europe and the United States, democratic progress is under assault.” Biden stated bluntly – in a comment that demands far more attention – that we are at an between those who think “autocracy is the best way forward” versus those who understand that “democracy is essential.”Biden Americans and their democratic allies to understand we all have a role in preserving our democracy, explaining that, “Democracy doesn’t happen by accident. We have to defend it, fight for it, strengthen it, renew it.”CPAC – and the GOP members of Congress who refused to hold Trump accountable – are doing the opposite. They are apparently trying to sell a new “Big Lie” to the American people: that Trump’s assault on our democracy through his post-election lies and incitement to insurrection is no big deal. Or worse, such conduct is acceptable in the pursuit of political power.Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at and follow us . We welcome your ideas and comments.Biden declared near the end of his speech that despite the current battle between authoritarianism and democracy, “I believe that – every ounce of my being – that ” I agree with our President that democracy “must” prevail – but given the direction of today’s GOP, I’m not as confident it “will.” That will depend on whether the GOP course corrects on its own or if Americans stand up in large numbers to reject the party.Ad FeedbackAd FeedbackAd Feedback

Opinion byLink Copied!Ad FeedbackEditor’s Note: Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM radio’s daily program “The Dean Obeidallah Show” and a columnist for The Daily Beast. Follow him . The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View on CNN.&nbsp;—&nbsp;What happens when you incite an insurrection to prevent the congressional certification of the 2020 election results? Turns out you get invited to speak at a high-profile gathering of GOP elected officials and conservative activists. As outrageous as that appears, this is exactly what we’re seeing with the...

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CPAC's dangerous embrace of Trump | CNN

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