Trump says he’s not a celebrity, he’s a president after Mike Pompeo swipe

Former President Donald Trump Saturday insisted his former secretary of state was not taking a dig at him when Mike Pompeo warned conservatives against following ‘celebrity leaders.’

Trump told DailyMail.com that he was a president who got things done in his four-year term.  

‘I don’t consider myself a celebrity leader of the country … I don’t consider myself a celebrity,’ he said before delivering the keynote speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference.

This is Trump territory, a gathering of the MAGA faithful. But he faced criticism from two of his likely rivals for the Republican nomination.

Pompeo, one of his secretaries of state, called on the Republican Party not to follow ‘celebrity leaders’ with ‘fragile egos who refuse to acknowledge reality’ in a Friday speech.

Former President Donald Trump Saturday insisted his former secretary of state was not taking a dig at him when Mike Pompeo warned conservatives against following ‘celebrity leaders’

A day earlier Mike Pompeo called on the Republican Party not to follow ‘celebrity leaders’ with ‘fragile egos who refuse to acknowledge reality’ in a Friday speech

Trump avoided criticizing his choice of words. 

He admitted that his celebrity status may have helped him get elected in 2016

‘I consider myself a person that was president for four years and we had record business record employment,’ he said. 

‘We had the strongest economy in history, and I really did it twice because we then got hit by the China virus and I had to rebuild it again. And I gave over a stock market that was higher than just before the virus came in. 

‘So no … I can’t imagine he was talking about me.’

Trump spoke to reporters just before taking the stage at CPAC. 

He repeated his claim that he could end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours and would take immediate action to stem the threat from China.

But he also said the Iran was possibly the biggest security threat facing the U.S. 

‘I just read in the media that Iran is going to have a nuclear weapon within 10 days,’ he said. ‘That would have never happened with me. They were ready to make a deal. 

‘They were going to make a deal … would have never happened with me. I consider that to be a very great threat. 

‘You know, China is a country that doesn’t want to get blown up. 

‘Some people don’t care if they’re blown up. They’re fanatics.’ 

The Conservative Political Action Conference held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center is Trump territory, a gathering of the MAGA faithful

Trump dominated the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, Maryland, even before he was due to speak on Saturday

Trump had fallen behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in some recent polls, but reopened a lead this week according to a Yahoo News/YouGov survey published on Tuesday

But it did not go all his own way at CPAC. He also faced stick from Nikki Haley, who unlike Pompeo has already declared her run, repeated her call for candidates over the age of 75 to take a mental competency test. 

While CPAC has been characterized as lower energy this year, with rows of seats left empty during several sessions on Friday, Trump will at least know that his grip is tighter than ever on a key part of his base.

The merchandise stalls tell the story. Row after row after row of hats proclaim, ‘Women for Trump’, ‘Trump 2024’ and ‘God, Guns and Trump.’ 

In the 26th row is the Ron DeSantis selection. Two visors and four hats with ‘DeSantisland: Make America Florida‘ logos.

‘Everyone is entitled to their view,’ says Caroline Hesse, who is running the stall, ‘but I think DeSantis is more on the RINO side of things,’ using a favorite Trump expression for Republicans in Name Only.

DeSantis is not even running yet but is frequently cited as the candidate most likely to give Trump a fight for the Republican nomination.

When CPAC convened in Orlando last year because of stricter COVID restrictions in its usual Maryland home, the home turf meant supporters of the Florida governor were plentiful.

He even took 28 percent of the vote in the conference presidential nomination straw poll. 

Seats are left empty during the speech by former South Carolina Governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley

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Trump is still the most lucrative figure for vendors. Only a handful of DeSantis hats were on display among the dozens and dozens of Trump-branded headgear

Supporters can buy a ‘Ginger Donald’ cookie. But there was no DeSantis equivalient

And when the organization met in Dallas last summer, there were signs that MAGA world might be ready for a younger generation of leader in the form of DeSantis.

With CPAC back at its usual home just outside Washington D.C., the Trump grip was back.

Allies such as his former strategist Steve Bannon and the ‘Godzilla of Truth’ John Fredericks broadcast from the corridors of the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center.

MyPillow founder turned election denier and conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell posed for photographs with young men dressed in the Trump uniform or navy suit, white shirt and red tie.

‘You see it’s 100 percent behind Trump,’ he told DailyMail.com. ‘Ron DeSantis is the Trojan horse of the Republican Party. He’s horrible.’

For Lindell, the Florida governor’s crime was meeting with a lawyer from Dominion Voting Systems, the company currently suing for libel after he pushed bogus claims its technology was to blame for fixing election results. 

He may have his own axe to grind. But Trump has enjoyed a bump in recent polls after DeSantis looked to be eating into his frontrunner status, without even running yet.

A Yahoo News/YouGov poll published on Tuesday gave Trump an eight-point lead over the Florida governor. DeSantis had been leading Trump in that poll for the past three months.  

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon was among the former Trump administration personnel attracting crowds at CPAC this week

Donald Trump Jr. was another crowd favorite delivering a speech to attendees

Trump still retains a strong grip on the Republican base, at least among CPAC attendees 

Melissa Cornwell, resplendent in a red-sequined jackey and yellow T-shirt bearing the letter U (spelling out TRUMP when she stands with her fellow Trump Tribe members), was never in doubt.

‘He fulfilled most everything he intended to do, and we need him to finish the job,’ she said. ‘Yeah, he’s not a politician but that means he’s not afraid to say the truth.’

But unlike some other attendees, she sees a future star in DeSantis. 

‘We’d love to see him as the vice president for Donald Trump and then to be the president for the next eight years after that,’ she said.

‘We think he has a lot of growth ahead of him. And when he comes into his own, he’s got to be unstoppable.’

Without Trump, there were plenty of empty seats at CPAC on Friday afternoon

Trump loyalist Rep. Matt Gaetz was among the speakers on Friday morning (seen here with Don Jr), a day before Trump is due to close the conference with a speech on Saturday evening

Trump’s former Press Secretary Sean Spicer was another speaker on Friday at CPAC

Trump’s image is used to sell everything from T-shirts to cigars in this case

DeSantis is not speaking at CPAC. Nor are other potential rivals for the nomination, such as Mike Pence.  Trump allies say that means they are no fools.

‘I’m not at CPAC I’m at TPAC,’ said Fredericks, the Trump-allied radio host. ‘The Trump movement has taken CPAC over. 

‘The Neo cons, the war mongers, the establishment Republicans and the other RINOS that have destroyed the country and are bringing us towards war … they’re not going to show up here.’

They may not be here. But members of the Trump administration are out in force. 

Press Secretary Sean Spicer, spokesman Hogan Gidley, adviser Sebastian Gorka, trade representative Robert Lighthizer, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson are treated like rock stars, posing for selfies and triggering squeals as they go. 

So too Trump family members, including son Don Jr. and daughter-in-law Lara.

Back in the exhibitors hall there is not much love for DeSantis.

‘He can wait his turn,’ said Sany, who runs USATrumpStore.com with its bejewelled handgun-shaped purses and Trump shopping bags.

She described herself as a MAGA Republican and said she would sit out the next election if DeSantis won the nomination. 

‘If it’s anyone but Trump then I won’t vote,’ she said. ‘That’s how much I hate the Republican Party.’