Former President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday his candidacy to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, in a bid to become the second elected president for two non-consecutive terms in the US.
“To make America great and glorious again, tonight I am announcing my candidacy for President of the United States,” Trump said from his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Trump’s paperwork for his bid reached the Federal Elections Committee shortly before he made the long-awaited announcement in Florida.
The Trump campaign comes as the former president tries to regain the spotlight after the GOP’s disappointing performance in the midterm elections, which included the losses of several figures he endorsed that denied the results of the 2020 presidential vote.
Republicans failed to win a majority in the Senate, fell short in their efforts to fill multiple seats in multiple states and have yet to secure a majority in the House, with only 215 contests declared in their favor of the 218 they need. These developments have forced Trump and other party leaders into a defensive posture as they face reprobation from within their ranks.
But Trump is also betting that his run-first strategy will alienate potential primary challengers and give him an early advantage with wealthy donors, advisers say. The former president is expected to be challenged by both conservative and moderate Republicans, though the calculus of some presidential hopefuls could change now that he is running. Others, like his former vice president, Mike Pence, may proceed anyway.