Former President Donald Trump says he has decided whether he will make a White House run in 2024 and is just pondering when to make the announcement.
In a telephone interview with New York Magazine reporter Olivia Nuzzi published on Thursday, Trump indicated he likes his chances in two years.
“Look,” he said, “I feel very confident that, if I decide to run, I’ll win.”
In a following comment, the former president made it clear that has already made a decision about 2024 and is just weighing whether to announce it before or after November’s elections.
“I would say my big decision will be whether I go before or after,” Trump said. “You understand what that means? … Midterms.”
“Do I go before or after? That will be my big decision,” he added.
Trump went on to outline his thinking.
“I just think that there are certain assets to before,” he said. “Let people know. I think a lot of people would not even run if I did that because, if you look at the polls, they don’t even register. Most of these people. And I think that you would actually have a backlash against them if they ran. People want me to run.”
The question of whether Trump will seek a return to the White House has generated endless speculation since he left office, with the former president leaving a trail of hints and pundits parsing every comment for insight on the issue.
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Many Republicans hope his announcement will come soon, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
“If Trump is going to run, the sooner he gets in and talks about winning the next election, the better,” Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said. “It will refocus his attention — less grievance, more about the future.”
Polls show Trump is Republicans’ favorite candidate for 2024, but not everyone is thrilled about the idea of his running again.
A recent New York Times/Siena College survey found young GOP voters would rather not have Trump back.
Among Republican voters under 35 years old, 64 percent said they would vote against Trump in the party’s primary.
But regardless of what others say in support of or against him, the former president said he has made up his mind.
“Well, in my own mind, I’ve already made that decision, so nothing factors in anymore,” Trump told New York Magainze.
“In my own mind,” he said. “I’ve already made that decision.”
