The annual Conservative Political Action Conference kicked off last week at National Harbor in Maryland. Several 2024 hopefuls attended, including former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and, of course, former president Donald Trump, who closed out the weekend with a particularly dark message. There were also some notable no-shows (we’ll get to that!). Either way, we’re several months away from the first Republican primary debate this summer, so let’s jump in.
I’m Brianna Tucker, a deputy politics editor for The Washington Post. I’ve covered Congress, climate, three election cycles, and was tuned in during all 15 rounds of Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s path to the speakership — shout out to C-SPAN. I’m going to be answering your questions for the next two months about politics and 2024, and sharing the inside scoop from our reporters on the campaign trail.
Read the transcript from my first chat below. I was joined by national politics reporter Hannah Knowles, who was recently in Florida reporting on Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. While DeSantis hasn’t declared his presidential intentions, he has certainly laid the groundwork for a potential 2024 campaign.
Looking for more? Read some of our recent coverage:
Alexandra Pannoni, newsroom talent & community editor, produced this Q&A.