Trump Excluded From Closed Door Conservative Event With Major GOP Donors. Biden Aide to Attend.

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

Former President Donald Trump won’t be at a selective and secretive event hosted by the conservative American Enterprise Institute, while senior Biden economic adviser Brian Deese will be, reported CBS News on Monday.

AEI’s World Forum in Sea Island, Georgia this week – which, according to CBS News, includes “ invite-only discussions, meals and access to miles of private beach” – is scheduled to also include Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Gov. Doug Ducey (R-AZ), House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD) and Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott(R-SC), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Rob Portman (R-OH).

Regarding the scheduled Friday attendance of Deese, who is the chair of the White House’s National Economic Council, Jesse Lee, a senior communications adviser for Deese, told CBS News, “The Biden White House has successfully found common ground on things like the bipartisan infrastructure law and competitiveness legislation by reaching out to stakeholders across the spectrum. We will continue to talk to anybody who has an interest in collaborating toward our goal of building long-term growth that benefits all Americans.”

According to CBS News:

The makeup of this year’s conference reflects AEI’s drift in recent years. While the nonpartisan — but historically conservative — group has previously supported aspects of Trump’s agenda, many of its scholars have become critics of the former president, particularly after he refused to concede defeat in the 2020 presidential election.

This year’s guest list also underscores how some leaders inside the establishment wing of the Republican Party and their allies on the right are increasingly eager to move on from Trump and loosen his grip on the conservative movement.

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