Republicans are hoping the allure of taking credit for a big Republican victory in the midterm elections will forestall an early 2024 announcement. “It would not be in the president’s best interest to launch his campaign that early - and it would definitely be a distraction the midterm elections,” one House Republican said, requesting anonymity to speak critically of Trump. Their Senate advantage rests on Vice President Kamala Harris’s tiebreaking vote. The Democrats are defending a five-seat House majority. They want a clean shot at Biden and Democrats in Congress so that they have the best opportunity to run up the score and win governing majorities. Tom Cotton (R-AR) - among others who are traveling to key early primary states and taking steps to mount White House bids.įor Republican politicians and operatives fixated on the election at hand, Trump running for president is not necessarily concerning, versus when he announces. Prominent Republicans who are signaling Trump’s entry into the contest would not preclude them from running include his former running mate, former Vice President Mike Pence his former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo and a political ally, Sen. But the former president’s considerations of an early reveal are based at least in part on a desire to preserve his advantage over multiple other Republicans preparing to run.ĭespite Trump’s popularity with grassroots Republicans, he would face competition in the 2024 primary. Traditionally, Democrats and Republicans planning to run for president wait for the midterm elections to conclude before making overt moves to build their operation, let alone launch a campaign. “Anything, and I mean anything, that takes the focus off the miserable job Joe Biden is doing is bad for Republicans,” added Josh Holmes, former chief of staff to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and co-host of Ruthless, a podcast popular among conservatives.Įarlier this month, NBC News reported Trump was mulling whether to announce a 2024 bid this summer.
“But it could really affect the Senate, which could end up 50/50 again based on how the seats are looking.” “Trump being front and center could affect GOP gains in the House by five seats or so,” said Jeff Burton, a Republican strategist in Austin, Texas. Rather, Republicans are concerned the 45th president’s early candidacy would dilute Republican messaging focused on Biden and boost moribund Democratic enthusiasm, shrinking the size of the red wave in a manner that tempers GOP gains in the House and Senate. The fear is not so much that Trump’s direct injection into the midterm campaign turns Biden into a popular president and makes 2022 a Democratic year. 8 into a more evenhanded debate between the president, reeling from skyrocketing inflation and myriad crises, and his polarizing predecessor. They fret the move would transform a referendum on Biden poised to generate a massive Republican electoral wave on Nov. With speculation rising that Trump could declare for president before the midterm elections to box out GOP competitors, some Republican strategists and party insiders are anxious. Top Republicans are keeping a wary eye on Donald Trump, worried the former president might announce a 2024 bid before Election Day this year, distracting voters from President Joe Biden’s embattled leadership and galvanizing Democratic turnout.
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