Oct 10, 2023 - Politics & Policy

"Not in their DNA" to accept Trump: Romney, Ryan gather 2024 candidates

Mike Allen

Mitt Romney (right) and Paul Ryan, then the GOP ticket, in Richmond Heights, Ohio, in 2012. Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and former House Speaker Paul Ryan — the GOP presidential ticket in 2012 — have drawn four current presidential candidates to their two-day, closed-door summit beginning Tuesday in Park City, Utah.

Why it matters: Most of the conversation at the 11-year-old E2 Summit will be about foreign policy, tech and finance/business. But this is a powerful gathering of well-heeled, well-wired Republicans who would love to find — and fund — an alternative to former President Trump.

Zoom in: The candidates are Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Other speakers include Anthropic AI CEO Dario Amodei, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and former attorney general Bill Barr.

What they're saying: Spencer Zwick, the summit's maestro, told Axios the attendees from the Romney/Ryan network "don't just accept that Donald Trump is the nominee."

"That's not in their DNA," Zwick said. "They're genuinely interested in a candidate they can get excited about and get behind."

Go deeper: Will Hurd drops out of 2024 presidential race and endorses Nikki Haley

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"Not in their DNA" to accept Trump: Romney, Ryan gather 2024 candidates

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