On Tuesday, a defiant Donald Trump entered the campaign for the office of president of the United States in 2024, setting the stage for a brutal Republican primary fight after his hand-picked candidates’ dismal midterm election performances made him less powerful.
At his opulent Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, the 76-year-old former president declared to hundreds of supporters gathered there that “America’s comeback starts right now.”
Minutes after submitting the required papers for his third presidential bid, Trump declared, “I am tonight launching my campaign for President of the United States in order to make America great and glorious again.”
Washington officials interpret Trump’s unusually early entry into the race as an effort to gain an advantage over other Republicans vying to be the party’s standard-bearer and to avoid possible legal action.
In a furious, hour-long speech, Trump railed against Democrat Joe Biden, who defeated him in 2020, and extolled — and at times exaggerated — his accomplishments as America’s 45th president.
Following his declaration, the US president tweeted, “Donald Trump failed America,” adding, “I will ensure that Joe Biden does not receive four more years.”
Trump, who was impeached twice—once for looking for political dirt on Biden in Ukraine and again after his followers attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021—launches his new campaign with a number of potential disadvantages.
His actions before, during, and after his first tenure as president are the subject of numerous investigations that could ultimately lead to his disqualification.
Allegations of fraud by his family business, his participation in the Capitol attack, his attempt to rig the 2020 election, and his storage of sensitive documents at Mar-a-Lago are a few of these.
Trump’s Republican supporters are currently licking their wounds following the disappointing midterm elections, which were largely attributed to the underperformance of Trump-endorsed candidates. Some openly question whether Trump, given his divisive politics and myriad legal issues, is the best candidate to represent the party moving forward.
The governor of Florida Ron DeSantis, who defied the odds and won a stunning victory on November 8, is the most prominent of the potential 2024 primary competitors.
– ‘Nation in decline’ –
Rupert Murdoch’s influential media empire has already appeared to reject Trump, branding him a “failure” with “increasingly terrible judgment.”
Facebook and Twitter, which were crucial in his astonishing electoral ascension, continue to block Trump.
In his acceptance speech, Trump attacked Biden on issues like inflation, crime, and immigration, made fun of global warming, and boasted about his success in defeating the Islamic State, controlling North Korea, and fortifying the border with Mexico.
We were a magnificent and glorious nation under our leadership. But just now, our country is deteriorating, he remarked. “This is more than simply a campaign; it’s an effort to save our nation.
The US economy has been wrecked by the Biden administration in just two years, he claimed. “With a win, we’ll once more create the best economy ever.
He vowed to “restore and secure America’s borders” and described the streets of our once-great cities as “cesspools of violent criminality.”
The 79-year-old Biden has stated that he plans to run for re-election, but he won’t make a decision until early in 2019.
Trump had made the denial of the results of the 2020 election a crucial criterion for midterm candidates seeking his endorsement, but a string of losses to devoted loyalists stifled his enthusiasm for a second White House bid.
Republicans appeared to be in a position to take over the House with a razor-thin majority after failing to seize control of the Senate. However, the real estate billionaire continues to enjoy unquestionable popularity among the millions of grassroots fans who have flocked to his “Make America Great Again” flag despite his disappointing election showing.
Despite being shunned by numerous influential donors, he has a war chest for his campaign that is well over $100 million.
– 2024 challengers –
The hard-right DeSantis appears to be Trump’s top rival at the moment in a Republican field that may also include former vice president Mike Pence, Texas senator Ted Cruz, governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin, ex-secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and former governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley.
When asked about the former president’s criticism of him on Tuesday, Ron DeSantis, 44, who Trump has branded “Ron DeSanctimonious,” had a quick response, advising “people to go check out the scoreboard from last Tuesday night.”
Trump is attempting to become just the second American president to hold office for a non-consecutive period of time after Grover Cleveland, who was elected in 1884, lost in 1888, and then won again in 1892.
