Republicans gather for CPAC opening as Haley commits to fighting on: Live

Nikki Haley doubles down on vow to stay in presidential race

Republicans are gathering for the latest instalment of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Wednesday, another four-day jamboree of grandstanding speeches, culture war grievances and MAGA electioneering.

The event is once more taking place at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside of Washington DC, and will be headlined by Donald Trump, who will make its keynote address on Saturday before heading off to South Carolina for the state primary.

Other guest speakers of note include Liz Truss, Nigel Farage and Argentina’s president Javier Milei as well as a host of right-wing favourites.

Nikki Haley will not be there but did deliver a defiant message to Republicans on Tuesday as she pledged to fight on in the battle for the GOP presidential nomination, saying she wanted to avoid a “Soviet-style election” with only one candidate and claiming that party members “privately dread” Mr Trump but are afraid to say so publicly, warning that he is a serial loser.

“South Carolina will vote on Saturday,” she said. “But on Sunday, I’ll still be running for president. I’m not going anywhere. I’m campaigning every day until the last person votes.”

President Joe Biden’s brother James Biden is set to give testimony today during a closed-door meeting with House Republicans, as part of their impeachment inquiry into the president.

The interview on Wednesday in their so-far chaotic and lacklustre investigation will take place after the House Republicans brought forward a number of business and family associates who testified that Mr Biden has not been a part of any of his family business dealings abroad – the main