Ever since President Donald Trump left office in January 2021, speculation has swirled around a potential comeback bid in 2024.
A new report suggested Trump may be planning to make an announcement on his 2024 run in the coming weeks.
According to The Telegraph, sources close to the former president believe Trump will announce his intent to run in 2024 from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Some sources believe the announcement will come as soon as this month.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has emerged as the most likely challenger to the Republican nomination for president, and the Telegraph reported this may play into Trump’s decision to launch his bid from Florida.
According to a Granite State Poll conducted between June 16- 20, 2022, by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, DeSantis is surging in popularity among Republicans.
The poll found 39 percent of likely GOP voters held DeSantis as their first choice for president in 2024. Meanwhile, 37 percent of voters said Trump was their number one choice. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percent.
This was a stark difference from October 2021, when 43 percent of likely Republican voters chose Trump as their first choice and just 18 percent chose DeSantis.
Results from July 2021 were very similar to those in October, when 47 percent of likely voters said Trump was their first choice and 19 percent said DeSantis would be their first choice.
DeSantis has fueled speculation about a 2024 run of his own by failing to explicitly rule out running against Trump, the Telegraph reported. His successful actions against Disney’s leftist agenda have also contributed to his popularity.
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“Fundamentally, people are sick of a Democratic Party that has let this wokeness seep into politics,” Republican fundraiser Brian Ballard told The Telegraph in a separate article.
“[DeSantis] is beloved by blue-collar, working-class voters. He drives the establishment crazy. And he doesn’t care what the media prints.”
While DeSantis shares some qualities with Trump, Ballard said he also has some key differences.
“He shares some qualities with Trump, but he is also forging his own path,” Ballard said.
“He went to Harvard and Yale, and in my 30 years in the business, I’ve never seen someone with such an innate understanding and grasp of the policy and of the issues.”
None of this has stopped Trump from planning a 2024 run, the Telegraph reported.
“I don’t know if Ron is running, and I don’t ask him,” Trump said. “It’s his prerogative. I think I would win.”
Florida is shaping up to be the site of a huge showdown, and Florida Central University professor Jim Clark said that is no mistake.
“It’s almost obscene how much money there is in Florida,” Clark said. “And so it’s a really good state to run from.”
No matter what happens in 2024, the state of Florida looks to be a key hot bed for the race once again.
