(Washington) Less than six months after the defeat of Donald Trump in the US presidential election, the race for the next Republican nomination is already underway.
Several would-be candidates dipped their feet into the pool to measure its temperature. Former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo embarked on a dynamic tour, visiting several states that will play central roles during the 2024 primaries and signing a contract with Fox News.
Former Vice President Mike Pence created a political advocacy group and contracted a publisher. He will deliver his first speech since the transfer of power later this month.
Photo by Chris Jackson, AP
Former Vice President Mike Pence
For his part, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is flirting with donors, even those who own Donald Trump. He will deliver a speech just before the former president this month at a Republican fundraising dinner.
And who knows what Donald Trump will do?
The former president had such a tight grip on Republican voters that party leaders fear he will intimidate other potential candidates for 2024. But many Republicans with patriotic ambitions are publicly laying the foundations for a future campaign while Mr. Trump contemplates his own plans.
“We build the astronomy before it rains,” said Republican strategist Michael Steele. They will organize what they have to do if Mr. Trump decides not to attend. ”
The former president now leaves them a lot of freedom, convinced that these potential candidates do not threaten his ambitions.
“It is a free country. People can do whatever they want, says Trump advisor Jason Miller. But if Donald Trump decides to run in 2024, he will be nominated if we pay attention to public opinion polls of Republican voters.”
Polls indicate that Mr. Trump remains a dominant figure among the Republican electorate, despite his loss to Joe Biden. So much so, that those who might hope to succeed him are eager to flatter his ego and make it clear that they have no intention of challenging his position.
Florida Senator Rick Scott, chair of the Republican National Senate Committee, presented Donald Trump with the “Freedom Champion Award,” although he continued to attack Republican minority leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell.
The next day, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who is considered a top contender for 2024, told the Associated Press that she would not run in the race if Trump ran the race again.
Donald Trump, who has been in the shadows since his defeat, plans to increase his visibility soon. His advisers are discussing the possibility of holding rallies in late spring or during the summer. “There’s a very strong demand to put Mr. Trump on the road,” Miller says.