Donald Trump prepares to launch 2024 campaign

Mr Trump has hinted at the possibility of another campaign in recent months, considering an announcement in the summer. However, he was dissuaded by advisers who warned that he could be a distraction to Republicans in an otherwise favorable political climate. It is targeted.

Two years after losing to President Biden, Trump is still the clear leader of the Republican Party, seeking to further influence the party with dozens of support in the midterm elections, some of which are others. Trump may be particularly bullish about his prospects if Republicans come out strong in their bid to take control of Congress on Tuesday.

“I don’t think I have any questions. It’s his nomination,” said John McLaughlin, a pollster for President Trump. “The Republican base hasn’t moved away from Trump. In hindsight, he’s looking better and better among voters.”

Some Republicans hope the 76-year-old Trump won’t run. They are trying to turn the page from his raucous personal style that has motivated Democrats and alienated many independents and moderate Republicans.Trump will continue to stick to his 2020 election. and has been embroiled in numerous legal entanglements.

Republican strategist Mike Duhaim, referring to the election losses suffered by the party when Trump was in office, said: “The question of whether he is good for the party will continue to rise in 2018 and 2020. We already had an answer,” he said. “There’s no shame in losing the presidential race, but he doesn’t seem to know it and he’s determined to prove he’s not a loser.”

In particular, some Republicans are putting the blame on Mr. Trump’s feet for Republican losses in two 2021 runoff votes that ceded control of the Senate to Democrats in Georgia. That dynamic is likely to continue this year as the race between Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and Trump-backed Republican Herschel Walker rages on, potentially leading to a runoff election on Dec. 6. It could play out in Georgia.

Kevin McLaughlin, who served as executive director of the Senate Republican Party’s campaign division in 2020, said, “I hope he sees the situation and makes the best decision for a large party warrant.” The announcement comes after the Georgia spill, but it will be pretty soon. ”

The announcement could also complicate the many investigations facing Trump. That includes the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into classified government documents that Trump kept in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. Some Republicans think Trump’s official campaign participation may make it less likely that prosecutors will indict him.

“Indicting a presidential candidate? Better get the goods,” said Republican strategist Scott Reed. “We are sailing in uncharted waters.”

His advisers have given him another point of attack against Biden, but denied the investigation was a factor in his decision-making given he had long spoken about running. “They raided Mar-a-Lago, can you believe it?” Trump booed in Iowa on Thursday.

Since leaving office, Mr. Trump has continued to raise money. His Save America committee had about $70 million in cash on hand as of October.

He recently formed a new political action committee called Make America Great Again Inc. and received $20 million in startup cash from Save America. Many of them have been used in advertisements for Senate elections. Trump could move more money to MAGA. MAGA is less restrictive and could potentially be used to achieve campaign goals.

Mr. Trump is assembling a team that could become a waiting campaign. Among those working at MAGA Inc. include Trump’s director of communications, executive his director Taylor Budowich. pollster Tony Fabrizio. Strategist Chris Lacivita ran a pro-Trump PAC in 2020 funded by the late Republican donor Sheldon Adelson.

Susie Wiles, who oversaw Trump’s victorious Florida campaigns in 2016 and 2020, is also expected to play a top role in any campaign.

Trump’s aides calculate that the announcement will quickly dissuade other Republicans expressing interest in running for president in 2024, but they won’t be able to sweep the field. The main threat is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is seeking a landslide second term on Tuesday but has not committed to serving all four years.

Trump maintains a clear lead in the 2024 virtual Republican primary, but the survey puts DeSantis in second place, with DeSantis facing the Biden administration on Covid-19 policies and companies like Walt Disney. fighting. Ltd.

on cultural issues. Tensions between men are already at a low level and both anticipate it could soon escalate into a more open conflict.

Some polls show Republican loyalty to Trump has declined since he left the presidency, prompting challengers to advance to early-voting states. ing.

If Trump can’t hold a major constituency on his own, his advisers want a larger group of Republicans to run for office, and they want to keep those candidates running while he maintains his core base. I think that support will spread among them. Other potential candidates include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.

Aides said Trump was convinced he could defeat Biden, and became serious about the idea when his administration chaotically pulled out of Afghanistan in the summer of 2021. Biden, who turns 80 this month, has been weakened by persistent inflation.

The president has said he wants to seek re-election and believes he can defeat Trump again. Mr. Biden initially refused to mention his predecessor’s name, but now he does so regularly, implicating him in his statements that he is a threat to democracy. It suggests that “He’s appalled at how crude Trump is and how he wants to break the norms that guide our politics,” said Democratic strategist Jim Manley.

The 2024 rematch between Biden and Trump was a draw, with 46% of the vote each, according to the latest Wall Street Journal poll conducted in late October. Biden leads by 6 points in August. While Biden’s approval rating fell to 43% from his 45%, voters viewed Trump’s performance as president more positively, at 49% from his 44% in previous polls.

Another early sign is the suburban white woman who abandoned Trump in 2020. If the 2024 election were between Biden and her predecessor, 41% of those women said they would vote for Biden, and 52% said they would vote for Trump. A poll in the journal was found. In August, 55% voted for Biden and 39% for Trump.

The modern-day defeated ex-president is not seeking reinstatement. His last success was Grover Cleveland, who was denied re-election in 1888 but was reinstated in 1892.

—Lindsay Wise contributed to this article.

write destination Alex Leary alex.leary@wsj.com