Donald Trump is set to make his first public trip to Colorado during his presidential campaign on July 1 to speak at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver.
The summit is rearranging its schedule to hear from the presumptive Republican nominee at 10:30 a.m. at the Colorado Convention Center that Friday. The event, which started in 2010, otherwise would have started Friday evening. It wraps up the following Sunday afternoon.
“We’re very excited that he’s coming,” said Jeff Hunt, executive director of the conservative Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University, which puts on the summit.
“Our attendees have been telling us they want to hear from him.”
The high-profile conservative platform and the timing are a benefit to Trump, as well. The Western Conservative Summit is the largest gathering of conservatives outside of Washington, D.C. Last year it attracted more than 4,000 party activists from 40 states.
The summit takes place a little more than two weeks before the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, July 18-21. Trump is expected to face criticism and opposition from some members of his party.
The summit’s organizers have been for weeks to secure his presence. The New York billionaire has not attended any of the six previous summits.
He the Colorado Republican caucus system in April and some of his Colorado supporters vowed to .
Hunt said the size of the venue is limited, so those who hope to see Trump .
“It’s going to be first-come, first-serve,” Hunt said.
He said the Centennial Institute is coordinating with Denver police, the Secret Service and the Colorado Convention Center to accommodate Trump’s attendance.
The speech could attract protesters. Hunt previously has said he expects a convergence of Trump supporters and anti-Trump conservatives at the summit. Those dynamics could attract significant national and international media attention.
The summit always hosts high-profile conservatives. Carly Fiorina, a former Republican presidential candidate and briefly the running mate of Ted Cruz, is set to attend this year.
Trump supporter Sarah Palin and a list of former Trump challengers have spoken to the summit in the past, including Cruz, Ben Carson, Scott Walker, Rick Perry, Mike Huckabee and Bobby Jindal.
Told of Trump’s Denver visit, , executive director of liberal advocacy group ProgressNow Colorado, said Trump “could be the greatest threat to American values Colorado has ever witnessed.”
“We’re calling on organizers of the Western Conservative Summit to enact a total and complete shutdown of Trump entering Colorado until our representatives can figure out what is going on,” he said.
State Republican Party chairman Steve House was happy to hear the news of Trump’s visit Monday afternoon.
“Mr. Trump’s confirmed presence at the event is an extremely positive development that shows his strong commitment to uniting our party by running on conservative principles,” House said.
“Given Colorado’s persistent economic issues with stagnant wage growth and a broad consensus that Hillary Clinton is dishonest, Mr. Trump has a fantastic opportunity to show undecided Coloradans why a Trump presidency would benefit the middle class and help reignite our state’s economy.”
