Former president Donald Trump announced at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida that he will seek the Republican nomination for president in 2024.
“In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States,” Trump said to cheers from his supporters at the event.
Trump filed a statement of candidacy on Tuesday seeking his second term as president after losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden.
The former president is not expected to have a clear path to the nomination, with both Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Trump’s own former Vice President Mike Pence indicating that they will attempt a run at the Oval Office.
Just In: Former President Donald Trump officially enters 2024 race. Will he be party’s nominee when GOP holds convention in Milwaukee?
— Charles Benson (@CharlesBenson4) November 16, 2022
Most recent Marquette Law School Poll shows his fav/unfav rating 39/53 isn’t good.
His favs w/R’s is high – 78% but low among I’s 35% & D’s 4% pic.twitter.com/K9w012xH2G
Trump had hoped to make this announcement in the wake of sweeping Republican victories in the 2022 midterm elections. However, the GOP stands to only gain control of the House of Representatives by a slim majority and did not retake control of the Senate.
Several of Trump’s endorsed and hand-picked candidates were defeated, including Kari Lake in Arizona and Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania.
In Wisconsin, Tim Michels had the former president’s endorsement in the primary election against Rebecca Kleefisch and campaigned in Waukesha in support of the gubernatorial candidate, but did not return to the Badger State during after August. Michels lost the general election to incumbent Tony Evers.
UW-Milwaukee political science professor Mordecai Lee spoke with WTMJ about Trump’s announcement and what it could mean for the 2022 election in Wisconsin.
Trump is launching his candidacy amid a series of escalating criminal investigations, including several that could lead to indictments. They include the probe into dozens of documents with classified markings that were seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago as well as ongoing state and federal inquiries into his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
More on this story as it develops.
