US conservatives have praised Donald Trump at an annual gathering in Florida after unveiling a golden statue of the former president ahead of his planned appearance on Sunday.
It shows that Mr Trump remains a Republican Party force, despite the violent scenes at the US Capitol last month.
Prominent congressional conservatives, including senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley, were among the Trump loyalists speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando.
"Let me tell you something: Donald Trump ain't going anywhere," Mr Cruz said.
Mr Trump's tumultuous final weeks in office saw his supporters launch a deadly attack in Washington on January 6 in an attempt to block the certification of Democratic President Joe Biden's election victory.
It was a win that Trump falsely claimed was tainted by widespread voter fraud.
If there was any doubt that CPAC this year was devoted to Mr Trump, the gold-coloured statue of the former president, dressed in a jacket, red tie and stars-and-stripes boxing shorts, was on display at the conference site.
Two participants wheeled the larger-than-life statue through the conference centre lobby.
However, it was unclear why the statue, showing a cartoonish version of Trump with an oversized head, was there.
The statue drew instant derision online, with commentators comparing it to the golden calf that enraged the prophet Moses in the Old Testament.
"Idol worship isn't conservative," wrote Representative Adam Kinzinger on Twitter.
He was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Mr Trump for a second time earlier this month.
On stage, Florida representative Matt Gaetz declared himself part of the "pro-Trump, America First" wing of the conservative movement.
"We're not really a wing, we're the whole body," Mr Gaetz said.
He also appeared to forecast a future role for Mr Trump, who is considering another run for president in 2024.
"Trump may not have drained the swamp all the way … yet," he said.
Mr Hawley, another possible 2024 candidate, called himself part of the future of the party.
"We're not the past, we're the future. We represent the future of this country," he said.
His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, was another of the speakers on Friday, saying the Republican Party still belonged to his father.
"I assure you [his Sunday speech] will solidify Donald Trump and all of your feelings about the MAGA movement as the future of the Republican Party," he said.
Mr Trump is expected to talk about the future of the party and lay out policy differences within a group riven by differences in the wake of his chaotic four years in office.
"The divide right now is between the 'Beltway elites' and the conservative grassroots around the country," said a Trump adviser who helped prepare the speech.
Mr Trump will also offer red-meat rhetoric critical of his successor, Democrat President Joe Biden.
Trump supporters repeated some of his false claims about widespread election fraud, arguing that they justified new restrictions on voting.
CPAC is an event organised by the American Conservative Union, whose chairman, Matt Schlapp, is close to Mr Trump.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-27/ ... e/13200034
There are decades where you fuck around and days where you find out
