Trump Reportedly Iced Out Of Top-Level Meeting Of Conservative Donors

Former President Donald Trump has notably not been invited to a high-level annual meeting of conservative leaders and deep-pocketed political donors, CBS News reported.

The World Forum event set for this weekend, sponsored by the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute , will include Brian Deese, President Joe Biden ’s top economic adviser, and other Democrats — and several Republicans who have been critical of Trump, according to CBS.

A key speaker at the secretive meeting at an exclusive hotel complex on Georgia’s Sea Island will be Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has clashed repeatedly with Trump.

Arizona’s Republican Gov. Doug Ducey , who rebuffed pressure from Trump to not certify Biden’s win in his state, will also participate, according to a schedule of the event obtained by CBS.

Some controversial Trump allies — including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) — have also been invited.

The nonprofit watchdog Center for Public Integrity has described the gathering as an off-the-record retreat of GOP leaders and “mega-donors .” 

Though some AEI members have supported aspects of Trump’s agenda, many appear now to be veering away from him, particularly after his repeated lies of a rigged presidential election in 2020, CBS noted.

AEI is headed by Robert Doar, a Republican and a policy expert on poverty. He has worked for Republicans and for former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg , a Democrat who has also been a registered Republican and independent.