2024 presidential race | Here comes Trump again: “America’s comeback begins now”

(New York) He has been impeached twice. He is the target of several criminal investigations. And he is vilified by the leaders of his own party.

Richard Hetu
special collaboration

Others than Donald Trump might feel overwhelmed in the face of so much adversity. But the desire of the former Republican president to regain the White House is so burning, so haunting, that he is ready to submit to an ordeal he would have preferred to avoid, namely a third presidential campaign.

Thus, in front of members of his family and supporters gathered in a ballroom of his private club in Palm Beach, Florida, the predecessor of Joe Biden declared his candidacy for the presidential election of 2024 on Tuesday evening. This expected announcement came just a week after midterm elections that saw many candidates associated with his political movement suffer bitter defeats.

But the 45^e President of the United States did not allude to these disappointing results, which notably cost the majority in the Senate to the Republicans. Only his lack of energy could betray the humiliation he suffered last week.

“A Great Nation”

“America’s comeback begins now,” he said at the start of a breathless speech in which he extolled his record as president, which he described as “the greatest economy” of history, and denounced that of Joe Biden, characterized in his opinion by “pain, difficulties, anxiety and despair”.

“Two years ago we were a great nation and soon we will be again,” he said, drawing applause from his supporters gathered in front of a stage decorated with a row of American flags.

“In order to restore America to its greatness and its glory, I am announcing my candidacy for the presidency of the United States this evening,” he added a few minutes later.

Interesting fact: Donald Trump did not dwell on the 2020 presidential election and his false allegations of voter fraud, as he usually does. Obviously, he followed the instructions of his advisers, who had asked him not to return to this subject which contributed to the defeats of several of the most Trumpist candidates during the midterm elections.

Donald Trump also did not explain why he announced his candidacy so hastily. During his first presidential campaign, he had waited until June 16, 2015 before descending the escalator from Trump Tower to confirm his political ambitions.

Among the most often cited explanations is a desire to get ahead of not only potential rivals, including Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but also the Justice Department.

The former president reportedly believes another presidential bid would help paint any possible indictments as yet another political attack. He also established a link during his speech between the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and the recent search of Mar-a-Lago.

Donald Trump is not the first former president to return to conquer the White House after being ousted. Only one succeeded: Grover Cleveland, whose second mandate extended from 1893 to 1897.

Discord among Republicans

Donald Trump’s “big announcement” will delight many of his die-hard supporters. Elise Stefanik, number three of the Republican group in the House of Representatives, greeted it even before it was made official.

“I am proud to support Donald Trump for the presidency in 2024,” said the representative of the state of New York. “It’s time for Republicans to unite around America’s most popular Republican with a proven track record of conservative governance. »

But this reaction is far from universal. On CNN on Sunday, Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan voiced more widespread opposition among the Grand Old Party elite. He recalled that the midterm elections were “the third election in a row where Donald Trump caused our loss”, the two previous ones being those of 2018 and 2020, according to him.

Donald Trump may also have lost one of his greatest allies among the conservative media. After the midterm elections, NewsCorp boss Rupert Murdoch told him he couldn’t count on his group’s media support if he went through with his idea of ​​running for president in 2024, according to the British daily I.

Are part of NewsCorp Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Postamong others.

“We have been clear with Donald. There were conversations between them where Rupert made it clear to Donald that we couldn’t support another run for the White House,” a senior NewsCorp source told the newspaper. I.

Still: Fox News host Sean Hannity and his guests enthusiastically welcomed Donald Trump’s announcement on Tuesday night.

Ron DeSantis, on Tuesday, did not add to the criticism leveled at Donald Trump since the midterm elections. However, he did not seek to minimize the extent of the defeats suffered by the Republicans.

“It was an extremely disappointing performance, especially since Biden’s policies are overwhelmingly unpopular,” he said at his first press conference since his resounding re-election.

When reporters tried to extort a comment on Donald Trump’s presidential ambitions from him, the governor of Florida was content to highlight his own victory, won by 19 percentage points.

“At the end of the day, I would just tell people to go see the scoreboard last Tuesday night,” he said.