Trump, Pence to address CPAC this week

President Trump will address the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday for the second year in a row, according to an agenda released on Monday.

Vice President Pence, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Fox News host Sean Hannity are also slated to speak this week at the conservative event, which kicks off Wednesday at the National Harbor complex in Maryland.

Thousands of conservatives are expected to descend on the region for CPAC’s annual convention, which is widely regarded as the Super Bowl of conservative politics.

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Trump was greeted with chants of his name and “USA” during a triumphant appearance last year by the president, who bashed the media repeatedly and promised to toss immigrants in the U.S. illegally out of the country.

That appearance was a bit of a turnaround for Trump, who hasn’t always been a CPAC favorite.

Trump’s uneasy relationship with the CPAC faithful was illustrated in 2016 when he pulled out of a planned appearance at the conference amid backlash from some conservatives, even though he was leading the GOP primaries.

Attendees voted for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who is also slated to attend the conference this year, as their favorite 2016 presidential candidate in CPAC’s closely watched straw poll.

Also scheduled to speak at CPAC this week are White House counsel Don McGahn, former Sheriff David Clarke and French conservative leader Marion Maréchal-Le Pen.