Trump’s in
But not all Republicans are convinced
Donald Trump finally did what he had spent almost a year putting off; he officially filed his candidacy to seek another term as president of the United States.
But with these midterm results, it’s clear Donald Trump won’t be able to clear the primary field. Before the pundits declare the 2024 primary over and done with, here are a few things to consider.
First of all, the walls are closing in around Trump. With the multiple investigations and lawsuits he is facing, his tarnished reputation as the first president to be impeached twice after inciting an insurrection and lying about the outcome of the 2020 election, and thumping at the polls in November, Trump isn’t launching his 2024 campaign on solid footing.
Second, the GOP has not coalesced behind him. Half of Republican voters say they are ready to leave Trump in favor of someone new. And Republicans, including big donors, are turning to other options, like Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott.
Finally, there’s an army of potential 2024 contenders who aren’t ready to get out of the way just yet. Take look at what they’re saying:
Members Of The Trump Administration Aren’t Lining Up Behind Their Former Boss
Mike Pence, Trump’s own vice president, said there “might be somebody else [he] prefer[s] more” in the presidential race and wouldn’t commit to voting for Trump.
Nikki Haley, Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, brought up a potential “age limit” for the presidency when asked about a potential Trump run and suggested the former president is “very conscious of that.”
Haley also went after Trump for his actions on January 6th and his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election (although Haley has supported election deniers for office across the country).
Mike Pompeo, Trump’s former secretary of state and CIA director, said a Trump run wouldn’t keep him out of the race.
Trump’s Former 2016 Rivals Might Not Back Away
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said his run for president would be undeterred by a Trump candidacy.
And Texas Sen. Ted Cruz suggested he may dive into the race no matter what Trump does.
A New Crop Of Republicans May Give Trump A Run For His Money
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney made a belabored baseball analogy to suggest Trump should not run again.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott has refused to back a Trump run, while also making the rounds in early primary states like New Hampshire, Iowa, and Nevada.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has called for Trump to “move on” and not run again while ramping up his own presidential campaign-in-waiting.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said another Trump bid was a “terrible idea,” and said it wouldn’t keep him out of the race.
And of course, there’s Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (aka Ron DeSanctimonious), who refused to back Trump and has said, when asked about a potential Trump run, “Who knows? We’ll see how the dust settles.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement…
Make no mistake, Trump is entering a very messy GOP primary. And even if Trump eventually does clinch the nomination, he will come out of this primary scarred and cash poor.
