Politico | Donald Trump builds presidential campaign operation for 2024 US elections
- The former US president is signalling a heightened interest in a rematch with Joe Biden – and laying the necessary groundwork
- A flurry of new activity, including more fundraising and a rise in attack ads, comes as Biden faces fallout over Afghanistan and the resurgence of Covid-19
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Meredith McGraw and Marc Caputo on politico.com on September 7, 2021.
Boots on the ground in Iowa. Accelerated fundraising. More national media interviews. A flood of new press statements. A rise in attack ads on the web.
With a flurry of activity from his super PAC and hints dropped in private conversations with confidantes and advisers, Donald Trump is signalling a heightened interest in reclaiming the White House – and laying the necessary groundwork to do it.
Trump sees Biden is on the ropes. He wants to throw punches as a combatant, not a heckler from the stands
Since his November defeat, Trump and his allies have fanned the notion that he will seek a rematch in 2024. That is nothing new – before his first bid for president, Trump feinted and flirted with runs for president for decades without pulling the trigger.
“Trump sees Biden is on the ropes. He wants to throw punches as a combatant, not a heckler from the stands,” said Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, adding that Trump is in no rush to announce, though, because “the base is rightly loyal to him. And a good rule in politics is to be a candidate for as short a time as necessary.”
Gaetz, like the dozen Trump advisers and friends interviewed for this article, declined to disclose his conversations within the organisation or with Trump. But he said it is more likely than not Trump takes the plunge, especially after the 2022 midterm elections if the Republican Party takes back one or both chambers of Congress.
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