DeSantis, McCarthy among GOP leaders missing from CPAC lineup

• Former Vice President Mike Pence, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel are all also not attending the four-day conference.
• Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz will all speak to the crowd, along with GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), House Chairs Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Mark Green (R-Tenn.), Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and James Comer (R-Ky.).
• Trump allies, including MyPillow founder Mike Lindell and former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, are also on the list of speakers.

Thought bubble from Axios' Josh Kraushaar: CPAC's 2023 lineup, while leaning heavily toward the MAGA portion of the GOP, does not reflect the party at large. However, the event will shine a light on what the MAGA voter base is feeling, especially with regard to 2024 candidates — including DeSantis and Trump — in the annual straw poll.

• In CPAC's 2022 straw poll, Trump dominated DeSantis by 31 points, signaling continued support for the former president over 13 months after he left the White House.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik will not only be attending but is on the list of scheduled speakers.