Team Trump sets target date for 2024 announcement – media

Former president Donald Trump reportedly aims to announce his entry into the 2024 presidential race later this month, when he expects Republicans to be in a celebratory mood after retaking control of Congress in next week’s midterm elections.

Trump’s “inner circle” is targeting November 14 as the date to unveil his bid to retake the presidency, Axios reported on Friday, citing unidentified people familiar with the discussions. The planning talks have escalated to the point where Trump allies are reportedly marking off dates on their calendars and booking their travel arrangements.

The announcement will be followed by a series of political events to promote Trump’s campaign, according to Axios. A Trump spokesman declined to comment on the plans. They still haven’t been finalized and the timing could be pushed back based on the results of the congressional midterms, according to the media outlet.

Trump and his allies have hinted in recent weeks that his 2024 campaign announcement is imminent, but they haven’t publicly disclosed a date. His former campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, told reporters that Trump had held back on launching his bid to avoid taking attention away from congressional candidates in the November 8 midterms. “I think you can expect him to announce [it] soon.”

The former president appeared to be setting the table for his 2024 announcement on Thursday night at a rally in Sioux City, Iowa. “In order to make our country successful and safe and glorious, I will very, very, very probably do it again, OK?” he told the cheering crowd. He added, “Get ready – that’s all I’m telling you – very soon. Get ready.”

The US could be headed for a rematch of 2020’s bitter presidential election, as President Joe Biden has indicated that he intends to seek re-election in 2024, though he hasn’t formally announced his candidacy yet.

However, recent polls have shown that most voters don’t want a sequel to the Trump-Biden slugfest. Only 26% of Americans want Biden to seek re-election, while only 27% want Trump to run again, according to a USA Today/Suffolk University poll that was released last week. Recent polls suggest that voters in at least two key swing states – Florida and Ohio – believe another Republican, Ron DeSantis, would have a better chance than Trump of winning the presidency in 2024.