Former President Trump held talks with some aides about possibly announcing a 2024 presidential bid as early as Monday night, according to two sources familiar with the talks.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the conversations, said Trump had been considering an announcement at a Monday night rally in Ohio, which is apparently aimed at bolstering support for GOP Senate candidate JD Vance. ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Neither decision is final, the sources noted.
Axios reporter Jonathan Swan first tweeted that Republicans would be watching Trump’s rally in Ohio closely and that the former president could speed up his schedule to announce his candidacy.
Speculation of a Trump announcement has increased dramatically in recent weeks, with the former president himself nodding in anticipation of recent rallies and saying supporters should watch the Ohio rally.
“I ran twice, I won twice, and I did a lot better the second time than the first,” Trump said Sunday at a rally in Miami. “In order to make our country prosperous, safe and glorious, I probably have to do it again. Stay tuned tomorrow night in the great state of Ohio. Stay tuned.”
Trump allies and aides have advised him back and forth, with some urging him to announce as soon as possible to clear the playing field of potential challengers and perhaps complicate a Justice Department investigation into whether he has mismanaged classified documents.
“To all the press texting and calling me: Trump should announce tonight,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), one of Trump’s staunchest allies in Congress, tweeted Monday. “His candidates won the primaries. Biden’s central message was “ULTRA MAGA” fear. And we are going to win BIG! Trump deserves all the credit for this wave of elections and is announcing tonight that he will seize it.
Others in Trump’s orbit have warned him against an early announcement that could intrude on the GOP’s midterm messaging.
“I give him a ton of credit for not announcing this year, for not embarrassing the midterm candidates, including a lot of people around him – who, frankly, need him for their next meal and their next gig and their next center of power – were urging him and begging him and divulging to many of you that he would announce at any time,” the former Trump campaign manager and White House adviser, told reporters. Kellyanne Conway, last week.
“I’m glad he didn’t do that,” she continued. “That was definitely my advice all along, you know, wait until after half term if you’re doing it at all.”
Polls have shown that Trump remains popular with the vast majority of Republicans, and he made a point at a rally on Saturday to read polls that show him ahead of other potential presidential candidates such as the governor of Florida Ron DeSantis (R) and former vice president. Mike Pence.
But polls have also shown that a majority of independents and a growing number of Republicans would prefer to see another candidate. While Trump would be a formidable contender in a GOP primary thanks to his loyal base of supporters, he also carries significant baggage.
He is facing multiple investigations for his conduct around the 2020 election and after leaving office, and polls have shown that many Americans hold him responsible for the Jan. 6, 2021 riot on Capitol Hill, where his supporters sought to end certification of the 2020 election.
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