Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has canceled his planned appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the event’s organizers tweeted Friday morning. “Very disappointed @realDonaldTrump has decided at the last minute to drop out,” CPAC wrote, “his choice sends a clear message to conservatives.” The reality-TV star was scheduled to speak Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. ET, giving the opening keynote for the conference’s final day.
The Trump campaign confirmed that he will pull out of the event. “[He] will be in Witchita, Kanasas [sic] for a major rally on Saturday prior to Caucus. He will also be speaking at the Kansas Caucus and then departing for Orlando, Florida, and a crowd of approximately 20,000 people or more. Because of this, he will not be able to speak at CPAC as he has done for many consecutive years.”