Divisive former US president Donald Trump has announced he will officially mount a third campaign for the White House, launching an early start to the 2024 contest.
The announcement comes just a week after an underwhelming midterm showing for the Republicans and will force the party to decide whether to embrace a candidate whose refusal to accept defeat in 2020 pushed American democracy to the brink.
Read Also: World Population Has Hit 8 billion — United Nations Reveals
Mr Trump said to an audience of several hundred supporters, club members and gathered press in a ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago;
I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States.
He was flanked by more than 30 American flags and banners that read: “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
“In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States,” he said.
He then laid into the FBI raid on his home, the ‘fake’ dossier’, the ‘deep state’ and lobbyists.
He added;
Three years ago when I left office, the United States stood ready for its golden age. Our nation was at the pinnacle of power, prosperity and prestige – towering above all rivals vanquishing all enemies and striding into the future confident, resourceful.
America’s comeback starts right now.
He said he would make his campaign about working people, restoring American energy independence, reforming elections to make sure there are ‘only paper ballots’ and restoring an ‘agenda of greatness’.
Comeback
Top Republicans and US media have called for him to stay out of the race.
Another campaign is a remarkable turn for any former president, much less one who made history as the first to be impeached twice and whose term ended with his supporters violently storming the US Capitol in a deadly bid to halt the peaceful transition of power on January 6, 2021.
Mr Trump enters the race in a moment of political vulnerability. He hoped to launch his campaign in the wake of resounding GOP midterm victories, fuelled by candidates he elevated during this year’s primaries.
Instead, many of those candidates lost, allowing Democrats to keep the Senate and leaving the GOP with a path to only a bare majority in the House.
Far from the undisputed leader of the party, Mr Trump is now facing criticism from some of his own allies, who say it is time for Republicans to look to the future, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis emerging as an early favourite White House contender.
Still, the former president remains deeply popular with the GOP base, even as Mr DeSantis and other Republicans, including former vice president Mike Pence, are taking increasingly public steps toward campaigns of their own, raising the prospect that Mr Trump will have to navigate a competitive GOP primary
