Trump Teases 2024 Run as He Hits Biden’s Early Moves

In his first major speech, former US president Donald Trump said the GOP was united and positioned himself as its standard-bearer.

Former President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida. Picture: AFP

Donald Trump took aim at President Biden’s early moves on immigration and COVID-19, left open the prospect of another run at the presidency and cast himself as the standard-bearer of a united GOP, in the former president’s first major public remarks since losing re-election.

“We went through a journey like nobody else, there’s never been a journey like it, there’s never been a journey so successful, we began it together four years ago and it is far from being over,” Mr Trump said Sunday afternoon at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. “Let there be no doubt, we will be victorious.”

“Let there be no doubt, we will be victorious,” said Donald Trump at CPAC.

Mr Trump’s remarks here came six weeks after his impeachment in the House on one charge of inciting the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, and his subsequent acquittal by the Senate. The GOP in Washington has been split between detractors of the former president who condemned his remarks at the protest earlier that day, and those who support him and a continuing role for him in the party.

Mr Trump teased that he may run again in 2024 during his speech, repeating his unfounded claim that he won the November election. “I may even decide to beat them for a third time,” he said. The party is without control of the White House, Senate and House for the first time since 2010.

Mr Trump said he had decided not to start a new political party because “we have the Republican Party.” Aides said Mr Trump may not reach a final decision on running in 2024 until after the 2022 midterm elections, in which Mr Trump intends to play a key role hand-picking candidates and punishing those who voted to impeach him. On Friday, Mr Trump endorsed a challenger to Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, one of 10 House Republicans who sided with Democrats.

Mr Trump slammed Mr Biden over the Democrat’s steps to roll back his predecessor’s hard-line immigration policies, as well as the administration’s approach to school reopenings.

“Joe Biden has had the most disastrous first month of any president in modern history,” Mr Trump said.

He cited Mr Biden’s proposals in a broad immigration bill, such as creating an eight-year path to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants living in the country without a permanent legal status. Mr Trump likened that to amnesty and called for Republicans to oppose it.

He said the Biden administration’s immigration moves were cause for the Democrats “to lose the White House decisively four years from now.” The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr Trump also blamed the Biden administration for not more forcefully advocating for reopening schools, accusing Mr Biden of being beholden to teachers’ unions. Aides to the president have said Mr Biden wants schools to be open when it is safe.

“There’s no reason whatsoever why the vast majority of young Americans should not be back in school immediately,” Mr Trump said. “The only reason that most parents do not have that choice is because Joe Biden sold out America’s children to the teachers’ unions.” The overall theme of CPAC this year was “America Uncanceled,” and Mr Trump criticised what he views as the left’s pernicious obsession with identity politics. His speech was interrupted with a chant of “We love you,” from the party faithful gathered for the annual conference.

After the election, Mr Trump circulated unfounded claims that Democrats stole the election through voter fraud. Those claims were viewed by many Republicans as damaging to the party, which lost two Senate elections in Georgia in January that tipped control of the chamber to Democrats.

Mr Trump on Sunday repeated those claims, saying the election was rigged and calling for “one Election Day” rather than expanded voting by mail, as occurred in many states during the pandemic. Cheers of “we won” broke out among his supporters.

Federal, state and local officials have repeatedly said they saw no evidence of widespread election fraud. Federal courts up to the Supreme Court ruled repeatedly against Trump-supported cases aimed at changing the result, which Congress has certified.

Ahead of his speech, people close to the former president said he remains angry about the result, but they were hopeful he would focus more on encouraging states to change election law. Already, a number of Republican-led states have begun to reverse changes made during the pandemic to facilitate more voting by mail.

To further his political goals, Mr Trump is forming a new super PAC. He already has a Save America political-action committee, which had raised more than $31 million by the end of 2020 as he challenged the election results. The Save America PAC is considered a leadership committee and individual donations are capped at $5,000 a year. Super PACs, also known as independent expenditure-only political committees, can accept unlimited funds, including from corporations.

Advisers say a primary way for Mr Trump to retain power is to play a winning role in the 2022 midterms.

The GOP would be foolish to fan a civil war within the party over Mr Trump, said Sen. Rick Scott (R., Fla.), who is head of the Senate Republicans’ campaign committee tasked with helping re-elect the party’s incumbents.

“We will not win the future by trying to go back to where the Republican Party used to be,” Mr Scott said at the conference. “If we do, we will lose the working base that President Trump so animated. We’re going to lose elections across the country, and ultimately, we’re going to lose our nation.” Mr Trump, 74 years old, has been golfing most days and settling into post-presidency life at Mar-a-Lago, his club in Palm Beach, Fla., relishing club members’ dinnertime standing ovations, according to a person who has visited with him. One friend said he has lost weight and appeared rested. He has said that he feels healthy enough for another campaign, should he choose to embark on one.

Other potential GOP 2024 presidential hopefuls are seeking to appeal to his supporters and endorsing a continued role for him in the party.

“There are a whole lot of those voices in Washington that want to just erase the last four years,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) said at the conference. “Let me tell you this right now, Donald J. Trump ain’t going anywhere.”

The Wall Street Journal