There’s a fair way to go but Trump tees up his 2024 presidential election run

Donald Trump drops hint he will run again for White House, declaring himself ‘45th and 47th’ US president during round of golf.

Donald Trump on the golf course, left, and at during his time as 45th president, right. Pictures: AFP

Donald Trump has dropped the biggest hint yet that he intends to run again for the White House in 2024, declaring himself the “45th and 47th” US president during a round of golf this week.

In a video shared on social media, the former president appeared teeing off at one of his Trump National golf clubs on Wednesday. One of his playing partners could heard saying: “Now on the tee, the 45th president of the United States.” “45th and 47th,” Trump shot back to applause from his companions, before hitting his drive.

Trump has yet to formally declare that he will run again in 2024, setting up a rematch of the 2020 race with President Biden. Instead, he has continued to tease Republican supporters with a string of campaign-style rallies.

BREAKING: While playing a round of golf, Trump says he’s the “45th and 47th” President of the United States. #Trump2024pic.twitter.com/oSL76Pu0Ot

— World Wire News 🌎 📰 (@SamIAmWorldWire) January 26, 2022

His latest comments come as Biden seeks to reboot his ailing presidency with a nomination to the Supreme Court, after the confirmation that Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, plans to retire. The vacancy gives Biden an opportunity to shore up the liberal wing on the bench, which is outnumbered after Trump nominated three conservatives during his presidency.

Biden has already vowed to nominate the first black woman to the court, potentially bolstering Democratic support among black voters heading into crucial midterm elections in November. The White House faces a bitter fight with Republicans in Congress, however, as it considers candidates to replace Breyer. Biden said on Thursday that he intended to announce the nominee by the end of next month.

Democrats hold both houses of Congress, but the Senate is split 50-50, with Kamala Harris, the vice-president, holding a casting vote in the event of a tie. With Republicans certain to unite against any Biden candidate, the president’s nominee must be guaranteed the support of every Democrat senator.

That can no longer be taken for granted after rebel Democrat senators inflicted two humiliating legislative defeats on the White House in the past month, refusing to support Biden’s flagship $US2 trillion Build Back Better plan or a push to pass voting rights reform.

Democratic leaders have indicated they will use the same tactics to accelerate a nomination that Republicans deployed in the final weeks of Trump’s presidency, after the death of the liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Republicans forced through the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to cement the 6-3 conservative majority.

Biden’s popularity plunge

Biden’s approval ratings have plunged over recent months as inflation and the Covid-19 pandemic weigh on a weary American public. But the fight to secure his first nomination offers Biden an opportunity to reclaim the initiative after his recent setbacks. He received some good news from a Politico-Morning Consult poll on Wednesday, which indicated that he retained a narrow lead over Trump.

Trump has been more explicit about his ambition since the start of the year. “In 2024, we are going to take back the White House,” he told a rally in Arizona two weeks ago. “We’re going to stage a comeback the likes of which nobody has ever seen.”

Trump has indicated that he will not confirm he is running until after the midterm elections in November when Republicans are confident of swinging the few seats they need to take control of one or both houses of Congress. That would almost certainly bring a halt to the investigation into the January 6 riot, in which Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol last year.

The Times