For a decade, President Donald Trump has been the gravitational force of the American right, but at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference a pressing question is animating conversations in the hallways: who comes next?
At what is billed as the world's largest conservative meeting, there is no clear consensus -- but an early contest is taking shape.
kAmu@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 :? J62CD[ E96 fh\J62C\@=5 D64@?5\E6C> AC6D:56?E :D D<:AA:?8 E96 4@?76C6?46 \\ EJA:42==J 96=5 :? (2D9:?8E@?[ 3FE E9:D J62C DE2865 :? E96 s2==2D DF3FC3D \\ 2==@H:?8 @E96C #6AF3=:42? DE2CD E@ DE6A @FE @7 9:D D925@H]k^Am
kAmp4C@DD 4@?G6CD2E:@?D H:E9 2EE6?566D[ ':46 !C6D:56?E ys '2?46 2?5 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 |2C4@ #F3:@ DE@@5 @FE 2D E96 >2:? 4@?E6?56CD E@ =625 2 A@DE\%CF>A #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ[ H:E9 DFAA@CE DA=:E :? 2 C246 E92E C6>2:?D H:56 @A6?]k^Am
kAm!@==:?8 DF886DED '2?46 9@=5D 2 4@>7@CE23=6 ?2E:@?2= =625 2>@?8 #6AF3=:42? G@E6CD]Â k^Am
kAmqFE @? E96 8C@F?5 :? %6I2D[ E96 5:G:56 2AA62C65 >@C6 6G6? \\ H:E9 C@F89=J 92=7 324<:?8 '2?46 2?5 2 D:8?:7:42?E D92C6 72G@C:?8 #F3:@ @C 4@?D:56C:?8 9:> 2E =62DE 2D 42A23=6]k^Am
kAmQx 92G6 E96 FE>@DE 4@?7:56?46 :? 3@E9 ys '2?46 2?5 |2C4@ #F3:@ E@ =625 E96 4@F?ECJ[Q D2:5 $FKJ !9:==:AD[ eg[ 2 C6E:C65 ?FCD6 7C@> s2==2D]Â k^Am
kAmQ%96J H@F=5 36 >J E@A EH@]Qk^Am
k9am\ %H@\9@CD6 C246 \k^9am
kAmu@C >2?J[ E96 49@:46 C67=64ED 2 32=2?46 36EH66? 4@?E:?F:EJ 2?5 6IA6C:6?46]k^Am
kAm'2?46VD 2AA62= =:6D :? 9:D 2=:8?>6?E H:E9 %CF>AVD >@G6>6?E 2?5 A6CD@?2= DE@CJ \\ 8C@H:?8 FA :? A@G6CEJ :? 2? pAA2=249:2? 4@>>F?:EJ 36D6E 3J @A:@:5 255:4E:@?]k^Am
kAmQx =@G65 ys '2?46 367@C6 96 6G6C H6?E :?E@ A@=:E:4D]]]x ;FDE =@G65 9:D C28D\E@\C:496D DE@CJ \\ E92E :E H2D D@>63@5J H9@ D2H 2 36EE6C H2J 2?5 H6?E E96 36EE6C H2J[Q D2:5 !9:==:AD]k^Am
kAm~E96CD A@:?E65 E@ 9:D 4@>>F?:42E:@? D<:==D 2?5 :56@=@8:42= 7=F6?4J]k^Am
kAmQw6VD G6CJ 2CE:4F=2E6[ G6CJ 65F42E65[Q D2:5 {2FC2 |4v2CC2F89[ da[ 2? 6>6C86?4J C@@> ?FCD6 7C@> pFDE:?]Â k^Am
kAmQw6 92D 2 8C62E 8C2DA @7 2?J <:?5 @7 BF6DE:@?D 96 42? 7:6=5] w6VD 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 5:A=@>2E:4 E92? %CF>A] x >62?[ x =:<6 %CF>A E@@[ 3FE x 766= =:<6 ys '2?46 :D 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 4=62?\4FE]Qk^Am
kAmtG6? '2?46VD A2DE 4C:E:4:D> @7 %CF>A \\ @?46 2 A@E6?E:2= =:23:=:EJ \\ H2D 3CFD965 2D:56]k^Am
kAmQ!6@A=6 492?86] !6@A=6 6G@=G6] x 92G6?VE <6AE E96 D2>6 @A:?:@?D >J H9@=6 =:76[Q |4v2CC2F89 D2:5]k^Am
kAm#F3:@VD DFAA@CE6CD[ 3J 4@?EC2DE[ 6>A92D:K65 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 DE625:?6DD \\ A2CE:4F=2C=J @? E96 H@C=5 DE286]k^Am
kAmQ|2C4@ #F3:@ :D 2? @FEDE2?5:?8 DE2E6D>2?[Q D2:5 qC:2? $F[ e_[ 2 4@?DF=E2?E 7C@> r9:428@]Â k^Am
kAmQw6 92D 2 G6CJ 4=62C G:D:@? @7 562=:?8 H:E9 :?E6C?2E:@?2= C6=2E:@?D] $@ A6CD@?2==J[ x =@G6 9:>]Qk^Am
kAm!9:==:AD D2:5 D96 H@F=5 F=E:>2E6=J =62? E@H2C5 #F3:@[ 4:E:?8 Q9:D :?E6C?2E:@?2= 5:A=@>24JQ 2?5 324<8C@F?5 2D E96 D@? @7 :>>:8C2?ED]k^Am
k9am\ {@J2=EJ DE:== >2EE6CD \k^9am
kAms6DA:E6 E96 DA=:E[ 3@E9 42?5:52E6D 2C6 ;F5865 E9C@F89 E96 D2>6 =6?Di E96:C C6=2E:@?D9:A E@ %CF>A 2?5 E96 >@G6>6?E 96 C6D92A65]k^Am
kAm}6:E96C :D D66? 2D 2 3C62< 7C@> %CF>A:D>] x?DE625[ E96J 2C6 G:6H65 2D 4@>A6E:?8 96:CD]k^Am
kAm%92E 5J?2>:4 =62G6D =:EE=6 C@@> \\ 7@C ?@H \\ 7@C 2=E6C?2E:G6 7:8FC6D E@ 82:? EC24E:@?]k^Am
kAm{6G: |:<F=2[ bd[ 2 >65:2 2DD:DE2?E 7C@> s2==2D[ D2:5 96 H@F=5 AC676C u=@C:52 v@G6C?@C #@? s6$2?E:D[ 6G6? 2D 96 24<?@H=65865 E92E #F3:@ H2D >@C6 =:<6=J E@ AC6G2:=]k^Am
kAmQx 5:5?VE ECFDE W#F3:@X 62C=J @?[ 3FE 96VD 366? 2 =@E DEC@?86C[Q |:<F=2 D2:5] Qp?5 x E9:?< s@?2=5 %CF>A :D E96 C62D@? 7@C :E] qFE @? 7@C6:8? A@=:4J[ 96VD 2>2K:?8 C:89E ?@H]Qk^Am
kAmp 92?57F= @7 2EE6?566D 7=@2E65 @E96C A@DD:3:=:E:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 42?5:52E6D :? %CF>AVD 2?E:\6DE23=:D9>6?E >@=5 \\ @C 6G6?[ :? D@>6 42D6D[ 2 C6EFC? 3J %CF>A 9:>D6=7[ 56DA:E6 E96 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 32CC:6C E@ 2 E9:C5 E6C>]k^Am
kAm%92E =:?86C:?8 7@4FD @? %CF>A F?56CD4@C6D E96 46?EC2= E6?D:@? D92A:?8 E96 C246]k^Am
kAmtG6? 2D 24E:G:DED 368:? E@ H6:89 DF446DD@CD[ >2?J 2C6 ?@E C625J E@ >@G6 @?]k^Am
kAm“(6VC6 9@A:?8 96 H:== 8@ 7@C 7@FC >@C6 J62CD[Q !9:==:AD D2:5] QqFE H6 92G6 E@ 7246 E96 724E E92E H6’C6 724:?8 E96 6?5 @7 E96 %CF>A 6C2]Qk^Am
kAm7E^>DAk^Am


