Sources: 2024 Announcement From Trump May Come Soon

Whispers circulate that former president is mulling early candidacy on 3rd bid for White House
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 2, 2022 10:45 AM CDT
Sources: Trump May Announce 2024 Run This Month
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Road to Majority conference on June 17 in Nashville, Tenn.   (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Former President Donald Trump has been signaling for a while that he plans to make another run for the White House, and we may find out in the coming days if that is indeed the case. Sources tell both the New York Times and CNN that Trump, 76, may be planning an earlier-than-anticipated formal announcement on his candidacy, with his advisers telling the Times it could come sometime this month. One GOP source tells CNN that an announcement could even come as early as the next week or so, while another source mentions that the press would likely get wind of such an announcement ahead of time to ensure plenty of media coverage. Those said to be in the know about discussions on the matter, though, don't exactly feel in the know. "Every day is different," one source tells CNN. "We get told he's going to announce imminently, and by the afternoon that has changed."

Still, "he's sounding a lot more committed lately," a source said to be "close to Trump" tells the network. Part of Trump's apparent anxiety on whether or not to announce early is said to be tied to the Jan. 6 congressional hearings, where he feels his side of things isn't being given proper attention. Sources say an early 2024 announcement, in Trump's view, would draw the coverage to himself that he desires and away from the Capitol riot investigations. "He knows that if he announces [a run for president] he'll be center stage again," a source tells CNN. Others note that another compelling reason behind an early bid may be to fend off other possible GOP contenders, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Trump's own former vice president, Mike Pence. Trump "wants to clear the field and dare other people to run against him," a source tells CNN.

The Times notes the timing of such an announcement—which typically isn't made until the year before an election—would be "extraordinary," though not necessarily beneficial for Republicans. Some fear that kind of move could be detrimental to other GOPers running in the midterms, while others aren't sure if Trump should run again at all, especially with "signs that a growing number of the party's voters are exploring other options," the paper notes. Then there are the complexities of campaign finance laws that affect early candidacies, as well as those close to Trump, including son Donald Trump Jr., who are said to want him to hold off on announcing until they can put a solid campaign infrastructure in place. Newsweek notes that a Friday Emerson poll of US voters shows Trump way ahead of other GOP contenders in the primary, with 55%. His closest rival, DeSantis comes in at just 20%. (More Donald Trump stories.)

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