Donald Trump is planning to use his first public appearance since leaving office to claim control over the Republican Party, a new report claims.
The report from Axios claimed that the former president will use his upcoming speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference to establish himself as the party's "presumptive 2024 nominee."
A close adviser told the outlet that Trump planned to use the speech as a "show of force" to others in the party.
Axios cited a longtime adviser who said that Trump has "payback" on his mind. The president remained largely quiet during his impeachment trial, when a total of seven Republicans voted to convict him.
The adviser said that Trump wants the party to know that he's not going away forever, saying his speech is meant to say: "I may not have Twitter or the Oval Office, but I'm still in charge."
Trump saw his Twitter account taken away after the attack on the U.S. Capitol last month, losing his preferred medium of communication with followers and means of attacking his political enemies.
The report added that Trump was planning his political future from his Florida resort, meeting with top advisers and setting himself up to be a key figure in the party.
"Axios has learned that Trump advisers will meet with him at Mar-a-Lago this week to plan his next political moves, and to set up the machinery for kingmaking in the 2022 midterms," the report noted.
The report added that Trump wanted to support primary challenges against the Republicans who broke from him after the attack on the Capitol.
As The Inquisitr reported, Trump's former vice president has already turned down the chance to speak at CPAC.
The report noted that Pence wanted to keep a low profile for close to half a year after leaving office, and turned down the invitation to speak at the influential annual gathering of conservatives. Pence had become a target for Trump's ire during his final days in office, with the former president speaking out when Pence would not go along with his attempts to overturn the results of the election.
Trump appears well-positioned for the next presidential election cycle. A Politico-Morning Consult poll showed that he was the overwhelming favorite of Republican voters to once again take the party's nomination.
"Among Republican voters, 59% said they wanted Trump to play a prominent role in their party, up a whopping 18 points from the last such poll, taken in the aftermath of the Capitol riot," a report from The Guardian noted. "A slightly lower number, 54%, said they would back Trump in the primary."
As The Inquisitr reported, Trump has told advisers that he is focused on another run for president in 2024.
