ATLANTA (AP) 鈥 For much of the Republican presidential field, Donald Trump is the candidate who must not be named 鈥 or at least not criticized too harshly.
Multiple GOP White House contenders took the stage Friday in Atlanta, the city where the former president was and where he must surrender next week on . They dealt gingerly with the man they鈥檙e trying to catch in the 2024 GOP primary campaign.
Radio host Erick Erickson's annual convocation of conservative leaders and activists mostly sidestepped the dominant figure in Republican politics. The Gathering, Erickson said, 鈥渋s our time to come together and hear from people when they鈥檙e running for office, why should we vote for you 鈥 what鈥檚 your vision.鈥
Trump dominates the primary polls and media attention despite criminal indictments for alleged actions before, during and after his presidency. Those seem to among core GOP voters, even as a majority of people in the United States disapprove of him. Many party loyalists who say they are open to alternatives aren鈥檛 necessarily enthusiastic about criticizing the former president.
The event offered a potential preview of how Trump may factor into the conversation when many of the same Republican contenders gather Wednesday for the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign. Trump has , but the forum in Atlanta was a reminder that the former president is hard to avoid 鈥 even when he鈥檚 physically not present.
Former Vice President Mike Pence told a friendly audience that he has 鈥渞eal differences鈥 with Trump 鈥渁bout the future of the country.鈥 He nodded to the Capitol insurrection that is the focus of one of the pending indictments against Trump. He called it 鈥渢hat fateful day鈥 and repeated that he fulfilled 鈥渕y constitutional duty鈥 鈥 his way of affirming why he of blocking Democrat Joe Biden鈥檚 Electoral College victory.
But before any of those carefully qualified statements, Pence said, 鈥淚 always stood loyally by President Donald Trump.鈥
Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador during the Trump administration, offered a critique by pairing it with a compliment.
鈥淭rump did a good job of getting attention on China鈥檚 trade practices, but he didn鈥檛 do nearly enough on the fact that they have bought 400,000 acres of U.S. soil,鈥 she said as part of a statement addressing the growing rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis repeated his attacks on so-called 鈥渨okeness鈥 and reminded attendees of his . The closest he came to confronting Trump was a call for the party to look ahead, and he did that with a swipe at familiar foils beyond the Republican fold.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nobody that wants us to be looking backwards more than the Democrats and the media,鈥 he said, adding a seeming allusion to Trump鈥檚 lies that his loss to Biden was rigged. 鈥淭hey would love to have us have to relitigate all this stuff from 2020,鈥 DeSantis said.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott took a similar route, emphasizing his 鈥渙ptimism鈥 about the 鈥渇uture鈥 of the party and the country. Scott saved his presidential barbs for Biden.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, nearly alone among Republican hopefuls in criticizing Trump for his behavior and related legal peril, could shift the dynamics Saturday when he appears with Erickson. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, making his first bid for public office, will appear as well.
Explained Whit Ayres, a national Republican pollster, 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 win the nomination by attacking (Trump) frontally.鈥
Ayres said the dynamics reflect the realities of the GOP primary electorate. About 10-15% are 鈥淣ever Trumpers,鈥 Ayres said, while about 30-35% hardcore Trump supporters. The rest, half or a slim majority, 鈥渉ave doubts about his electability鈥 in a general election but are still 鈥渞eliable Republicans who voted for him twice,鈥 Ayres said.
As a Republican, 鈥測ou can鈥檛 call him unfit for office,鈥 Ayres said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 basically requiring half the party to admit they screwed up and put someone unfit for office into the Oval Office. That鈥檚 just a psychological step too far for most people.鈥
Brad Raymer, an attendee from Marietta, Georgia, was among the attendees who has cast two November ballots for Trump. But he called the Friday conversation refreshing.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to hear any more about Trump,鈥 Raymer said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good to hear these candidates鈥 actual ideas."
Indeed, Erickson picked their brains on matters from the Ukraine war and trade policy to regulation of artificial intelligence. Still, those policy discussions largely yielded similar ideological positions 鈥 promises of smaller government, lower taxes, increased military spending 鈥 that are routine in any Republican forum.
Raymer acknowledged that those overlaps make Trump鈥檚 鈥渂ig personality鈥 and 鈥渁ntics鈥 stand out in a party he has dominated since launching his first presidential campaign eight years ago.
But Raymer said he knows plenty of Republicans who, unlike him, embrace Trump鈥檚 鈥渁ntics鈥 or at least tolerate 鈥渉is election lies鈥 about 2020. 鈥淚 try to tell them to see reason,鈥 he said, emphasizing that he accepted Biden鈥檚 victory in Georgia and nationally.
Making a more muted version of the same argument was Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who notably defied Trump in 2020 by certifying Biden鈥檚 slate of Georgia electors. Erickson and others celebrated Kemp's 2022 reelection romp over Democratic star Stacey Abrams even after enduring Trump's public ire. They hailed Georgia鈥檚 economy, crediting the governor, of course, rather than a Democratic administration in Washington.
Kemp himself urged Republicans to look ahead.
鈥淵ou can believe whatever you want about the 2020 election. That is your right,鈥 Kemp said. But 鈥渋f you鈥檙e still mad about that,鈥 he continued, then 鈥渟ign up to be a poll worker, be a poll watcher, get involved in the process, door knock, phone calls, do something that will help us win in 2024. Complaining is not going to help us.鈥
It was all about Trump. Without a mention of his name.
