“I would say my big decision will be whether I will go sooner or later,” Trump said in an interview released Thursday, apparently referring to the November midterm elections.
“Am I going sooner or later? That will be my big decision,” Trump added, after confirming that “he has already made that decision” when asked if he plans to run.
These latest comments confirm CNN’s previous reports of deliberations behind the scenes that consume Trump’s inner circle as the former president and his top aides reflect on when he should jump into the 2024 Republican presidential primary to maximize impact your ad and to deter them. possible GOP rivals to challenge him.
“I think a lot of people wouldn’t even show up if they did because, if you look at the polls, they don’t even register,” Trump said.
One such Republican is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, an emerging hero among grassroots conservatives, whose own actions, including his refusal to publicly rule out a major challenge to Trump, have firmly indicated that he may also be looking at the White House. Trump has previously told advisers that he believes he would easily defeat the Florida Republican in a primary, in addition to highlighting his own enduring popularity among the GOP base in recent statements and posts on his Social Truth website.
Within Trump’s orbit, advisers have broken down on whether a mid-term pre-announcement could weaken mid-term Republican opportunities by refocusing the dominant political conversation on Trump: a deeply divisive figure the ongoing false claims about 2020 elections could jeopardize vulnerable Republican candidates who want to. to keep voters focused on their current economic problems. While aides believe he is determined to run again, CNN previously reported that Trump’s indecision over the timing of a campaign announcement has upset some advisers.
“Every day is different. We are told he will announce it imminently, and in the afternoon that has changed,” a knowledgeable source said.
Meanwhile, a person close to Trump said that if he doesn’t announce it this month, the most likely alternative would be to launch the September campaign just around Labor Day.