Major blow to Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid

Donald Trump was hit with two major setbacks to his US presidential run after his fiercest challenger yet announced their candidacy for the Republican party nomination.

AFP

Donald Trump’s presidential run was hit with two major blows after a judge announced the release of 2020 election interference findings, and his fiercest Republican challenger yet entered the ring for 2024.

Former ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, announced she would challenge Trump for the Republican nomination, making her the GOP’s first viable alternative to contest the 2024 presidential election against Joe Biden.

The 51-year-old former South Carolina governor announced on Valentine’s Day in a move expected to open the floodgates to other challenges from rivals like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former vice president Mike Pence, and former secretary of state Mike Pompeo.

Donald Trump has remained uncharacteristically silent, so far, on his former employee challenging him for the presidency nomination. Picture: AFP

While the first Republican challenger, former national security adviser John Bolton, announced a run in January, Haley is considered the first serious, and so far fiercest, attempt to dislodge Trump as de facto leader of the party.

“It’s time for a new generation of leadership — to rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border and strengthen our country, our pride and our purpose,” she said in the video shot in Bamberg, the South Carolina town of her birth.

She also took a swipe at Joe Biden, saying the current president’s record was “abysmal”.

“But that shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Washington establishment has failed us over and over and over again,” she said.

The next challenger is expected to be South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, who has an event planned for Thursday (local time) to announce his “vision of hope”, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, considered Donald Trump’s toughest opponent, has not yet announced his candidacy. Picture: AFP

Haley’s candidacy comes after a judge in Georgia ordered the public release on Thursday (local time) of a special grand jury report on whether Trump pressured local officials to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ordered the public release of three sections of a grand jury report on whether or not Trump and his allies broke state law, as well as discussed concerns that “some witnesses may have lied under oath during their testimony.”

The report had been sealed by the District Attorney to protect the rights of potential “defendants” in the case, which observers took to mean the grand jury hearing could result in imminent charges against either Trump or members of his administration.

Donald Trump is hoping for a rematch with Joe Biden, who he lost to in 2020. Picture: AFP

In only allowing the partial release of the report, Judge McBurney agreed that the full findings would violate the due process of “potential future defendants”.

McBurney plans on releasing the report’s introduction and conclusion, along with the discussion about potential false statements, on Thursday.

But he ruled that parts of the report recommending whether to charge a specific individual would remain private.

Originally published as Major blow to Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid