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“1776 Man” is back at CPAC. And he’s leading a walkout during Jeb Bush’s speech.

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February 26, 2015 at 4:26 p.m. EST
Golden Isles Tea Party member William Temple (C), wearing a Revolutionary War uniform, walks among guests carrying a 'Do Not Tread On Me' flag at the American Conservative Union's 42nd Annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at National Harbor, Md., Thursday. (EPA/MIKE THEILER)

William Temple has a schtick. He goes to conservative events as as Button Gwinnett, a Georgia man who signed the Declaration of Independence. He carries a Gasden flag. (It's been signed by politicians including Ted Cruz and Michele Bachmann.)

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Temple's been doing his thing since at least 2010 but at the Conservative Political Action Conference, happening this week in Maryland, Temple is kicking it up a notch: He's planning to lead a walkout Friday during Jeb Bush's speech. "We are sick and tired of CPAC inviting the Chris Christies and Jeb Bushes" to the event, explained Temple in an interview.

This year marks the sixth CPAC for William Temple, a tea party activist from Georgia. Dressed in 1770s German and Scottish war garb and waving a giant “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, Temple discusses his plans to lead a walk-out during former Gov. Jeb Bush’s speech on Friday. (Video: Julie Percha/The Washington Post)

Temple's unique garb means that he -- and his anti-Jeb talk -- will get lots of attention over the next few days. As Bloomberg Politics' Dave Weigel noted, Temple "will be photographed 10 million times." We're not to 10 million yet, but CPAC doesn't end until Saturday, so there's plenty of time.

Dan Balz contributed.

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