CPAC designed as a Trump coronation, former head of American Conservative Union says

The former head of the organization that oversees CPAC on Sunday called this year's ongoing event a coronation of Donald Trump.

Calling him "the great whiner," Al Cardenas said on MSNBC of Trump: "He’s going to continue to make sure people understand that he is the de facto leader of the Republican Party, and those that don’t follow his path will have to pay for it."

Cardenas was the head of the American Conservative Union from 2011 to 2014. The organization runs the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, which began in 1974 with Ronald Reagan as its first keynote speaker. Cardenas was succeeded by Matt Schlapp, who remains the organization's president.

Trump is to address CPAC on Sunday afternoon.

Speaking on "The Sunday Show With Jonathan Capehart," Cardenas said that everything at CPAC leading up to Trump's speech has been "a set-up" to highlight the themes that the former president will hammer home.

Trump is, Cardenas told Capehart, intent on "instilling fear" and "making sure everybody know there is one leader in this party and that’s him."