Former President Donald Trump, aiming to become the second commander-in-chief with non-consecutive terms in the United States, announced on the evening of Tuesday, October 15, that he will seek the presidential nomination of the Republican Party in 2024.
“To make America great and glorious again, I am announcing tonight my candidacy for President of the United States,” Trump told a crowd gathered at Mar-a-Lago, his property in Florida, where his campaign will be based.
The long-awaited announcement from Trump comes as he tries to regain the spotlight after the Republican Party’s lackluster performance in the midterm elections, where several candidates endorsed by the former president were defeated at the polls. Republicans failed to secure a majority in the Senate and, in the House of Representatives, whose votes are still being counted, they are expected to achieve a very narrow majority.
Throughout the hour-long speech, Trump made it clear that he wants his campaign to be seen by Republicans as a sacrifice he is making for the country.
“Anyone who truly seeks to confront this fraudulent and corrupt system will face a firestorm that only a few can understand,” he said, describing the legal and emotional toll his presidency and post-presidency have taken on his family.
Trump and his family are facing a series of lawsuits.
“I have no doubt that by 2024, unfortunately, it will be much worse and they will clearly see what has happened and is happening to our country – and the voting will be very different,” he stated.
Even before the presidential race, Trump will have to face a challenge within the Republican Party itself, which has not shown unity around the former president’s name. At the announcement of his candidacy, few members of Congress were present.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, a former ally of Trump, said in an interview with Fox News that he believes Americans will have ‘better choices’ than Trump in 2024.
“I think there is a genuine desire for leadership that can unite the country around our highest ideals and the civility and respect that Americans show each other every day,” he said.
Major Republican Party donors are also looking for alternatives. Stephen A. Schwarzman of Blackstone, a longtime ally of Trump, told Axios that he would support someone from a “new generation” of Republicans.
And Trump still faces a series of legal issues. The Department of Justice continues to investigate the mishandling of classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago club. The former CFO of the Trump Organization, Allen Weisselberg, began testifying against the company on Tuesday in a case brought by the Manhattan district attorney. And the New York Attorney General has also sued Trump over fraud allegations.
Source: The New York Times and Fox News