Florida: Donald Trump, who tried to overthrow the results of the 2020 presidential election and inspired a deadly riot at the Capitol in a desperate attempt to keep himself in power, announced he is running again for president in 2024.
"I am announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," Trump, 76, said flanked by massive American flags, at his Mar-a-Lago club and home in Palm Beach, Florida.
The announcement - and official filing - comes just a week after the 2022 midterm elections, which saw a lackluster performance from Trump-backed Republican candidates in key Senate races and competitive House elections. As a result, Democrats were able to retain control of the Senate.
"America's comeback starts right now," Trump said, claiming, "Your country is being destroyed before your eyes." The dark vision hearkened back to Trump's inauguration speech of a country suffering "American carnage" and in need of him to fix it.
Trump running sets up a potential rematch against President Joe Biden, who turned 80 last week and says he intends to run for re-election in 2024.
Republicans have taken control of House by a far smaller majority than they were hoping for, likely hampering their ability to pass legislation next year.
And yet, Trump is launching another run for president and falsely claiming his candidates did well, despite the evidence that his brand and his style of politics have proven radioactive in competitive states and districts for multiple election cycles in a row now.
A poll taken before the election showed 53% of Americans and almost one in four Republicans view Trump unfavourably. It showed a similar number of Americans viewing Biden unfavourably. Trump plans to launch his campaign two years before the November 5, 2024, election despite these concerns, said two sources familiar with his plans.
