Former president Donald Trump announced his third run for the nation’s highest office on Tuesday night at his Mar-a-Lago golf club in Florida. Trump has been hinting about a special announcement for days on Truth Social, the social media company he created after Twitter banned him.
During his nearly hour-long speech, Trump attempted to entice new voters and laid out some specific policy issues, such as implementing a lifetime ban on lobbying by former lawmakers and committing to an end of homelessness in the United States.
Trump lost the 2020 Presidential Election to President Joe Biden with 232 electoral college votes. Biden won 306 votes.
Leading up to the announcement, Trump has been criticized by those in the Republican Party after a disappointing midterm election for Republicans. Historically, the political party opposing the president’s party often takes control of Congress following the midterms. However, this election cycle was different and led to Senate Democrats holding their majority; House Republicans are projected to have a razor-thin majority by one or two members.
“If they win, I should get all the credit,” Trump said in an interview on Election Day. “If they lose, I should not be blamed at all.”
The comment earned him some deep criticism, especially because his personally-endorsed candidates did not win the races they were suspected to, including Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and former TV star Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania’s Senate race.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has become a leading figure in the Republican Party following Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) said Monday she thinks the Florida executive is the current leader of the Republican Party.
Trump’s post-presidency has been marred by legal conflicts. Over the summer the FBI raided his home at Mar-a-Lago to find highly sensitive and classified documents; the New York attorney general is investigating him for tax fraud; and on Tuesday, before Trump announced his candidacy, a New York judge threw out a lawsuit against Trump from his niece Mary Trump.
Trump is the first person of a major party to announce their run for president in 2024. Typically, announcements would start trickling out during the summer of the year before an election. If elected again, Trump would be the second president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
“This will not be my campaign, this will be our campaign all together,” Trump said with his signature “Make America Great Again” phrase on his lectern’s banner.
