Competing at one point with a dozen rivals for the 2016 presidential nomination, Trump won only about a third of the vote in key early states. He even lost in Iowa, which begins the nominating process. But he prevailed because those in the party who opposed his divisive politics could never rally around a single opponent. That same dynamic could play out again as Trump considers a new bid for the presidency as soon as this summer.
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With a growing list of candidates preparing to run, even a Trump weighed down by two impeachments and mounting legal vulnerabilities could command a dominant position in a fractured, multi-candidate primary. Story continues below ad “I’m afraid it could end up the same way as 2016, which was basically everybody thinking everybody else should go,” said Republican strategist Mike DuHaime, who advised the campaign of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, that year. “I think every major candidate realized they would have a better shot against Trump one-on-one. But of course each person thought that he or she should be the one to take this shot and no one was left out of the way. … And then it was too late.” 2:17 ‘I am the president of the capitol’: Former aide testifies that Trump demanded to participate in the siege of the US Capitol ‘I am the president of the capitol’: Former aide testifies that Trump demanded to participate in the siege of the US Capitol – June 28, 2022 Anxiety is mounting as a growing list of potential challengers is taking increasingly brazen steps, giving high-profile speeches, running ads, courting donors and making repeat visits to early voting states. That group now includes more than a dozen potential candidates, including Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence. his former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo; and Senators Ted Cruz of Texas, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Rick Scott of Florida and Tim Scott of South Carolina. Everything could work based on the former president’s policies. Story continues below ad In the anti-Trump lane, politicians like Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan are raising their profile. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is increasingly seen as Trump’s heir apparent, even by Trump’s staunchest supporters, and is seen by Trump allies as his most formidable potential challenger.
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Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and others have said they will not challenge Trump if he moves forward. But others, including Christy, seem to be gunning for the fight, even if it seems like a long shot. “I’m definitely thinking about it. I won’t make a decision until probably the end of the year,” Christie said in a recent interview. He urged the party to move on from Trump and his continued obsession with the 2020 election. “For me, it’s that the party needs to go in a new direction from a personality perspective and continue to have someone who can bring strong leadership, tough leadership, that the country needs, but doesn’t have all the other drama going on with him,” he said. “I’m hearing the same things from donors that I’m hearing from voters — that they’re very concerned that we can’t put ourselves in a position to have 2024 for anything other than the good of the country.” Story continues below ad 3:27 Jan 6th hearing: Trump tried to drive to US Capitol on day of attack, ex-top aide testifies. 28, 2022 Pompeo, who has had a busy travel schedule and plans to return to Iowa this summer, said in a recent interview that he is spending time reading and listening to speeches by President Ronald Reagan as he prepares for a possible run. Trending Stories
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“We’re getting ready to stay in the fight,” he said last month as he courted evangelical Christians at a rally in Nashville, Tennessee. He said he and his wife will sit down after the November election and “think about our path, pray to get through it and decide where best to serve. We could be running for elected office again. We may choose a different path. But we’re not going to move away from these things that I’ve been working on for 30 years. They are very important.” Pompeo has outlined a possible approach in roughly the same mold as Trump. Story continues below ad “He was a disruptor that was most needed in 2016, there’s no question about that,” Pompeo said. “And now the task is to take that set of understandings, that set of principles, and defend them and build on them. And it’s going to take a lot of work to do that, leaders with real grit and character to do that.”
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Such open discussion comes as Trump faces a series of escalating legal troubles. The congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot has revealed increasingly damaging information about Trump’s final weeks in office. The Justice Department has its own investigation. In Georgia, the prosecutor investigating Trump’s possible illegal meddling in the state’s 2020 election has stepped up her investigation by subpoenaing members of Trump’s inner circle. In New York, Trump, his namesake son and daughter Ivanka agreed to answer questions under oath starting next week in the attorney general’s civil investigation into his business practices. Mick Mulvaney, a former South Carolina lawmaker who served as Trump’s acting White House chief of staff, said the moves suggest potential candidates “may see an opening where there wasn’t two months ago.” “Trump fatigue may be a real thing,” he said, with voters wondering whether, if they vote for another candidate, “they can have the same policies without all the baggage.” Story continues below ad 2:24 USA Capitol siege hearings focus on Trump’s 2020 lobbying campaign Capitol siege hearings focus on Trump’s 2020 lobbying campaign – June 21, 2022 At the same time, Trump has seen some of his primary candidates falter. Those who won, including Senate candidates JD Vance in Ohio and Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, did so with about 30 percent of the vote, meaning two-thirds of party voters opposed Trump’s picks. “I don’t think anyone is underestimating Trump. There’s a reason he’s the most sought-after endorser in every Republican primary,” said GOP strategist Alex Conant. “That said, I think there’s a recognition that a lot of Republican voters are looking to the future and they’re ready for what’s next.” To what extent remains an open question. During a trip to Iowa this week, Cotton declined to address Trump’s position. But the senator said he hoped to be “an effective national leader, not only for my party but also for the American people in my role in the Senate and in any other future role that I serve.” Story continues below ad Still, Cotton argued, candidates should embrace Trump’s legacy. “I know that Donald Trump is very popular among our voters who appreciate the successes he has achieved over four years in a very hostile environment. They don’t want Republicans running against that legacy, because they see that legacy as a great success,” he said Thursday in Cambridge, Iowa.
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Trump continues to press ahead with his own events. On Friday night, he campaigned in Las Vegas with Adam Laxalt, his running mate for the Nevada Senate. And on Saturday night, he planned a rally in Anchorage, Alaska, to campaign with Kelly Tshibaka, whom he has endorsed in her race against Sen. Lisa Murkowski, and others, including former Gov. Sarah Palin, who is now running for Congress. Conant said it made sense for candidates to continue testing the waters for now. “A lot of potential candidates are realizing that 2024 may be their last best chance, no matter what Trump does,” he said. “There’s a very vulnerable Democrat in the White House, the Republicans seem likely to win, and if it’s not Trump, they’re basically going to be sidelined for the next 10 years.” 1:47 Former acting AG tells committee Jan 6 he told Trump DOJ won’t seize voting machines Former acting AG tells committee Jan 6 he told Trump DOJ won’t seize voting machines – June 23, 2022 However, Conant, who served as…
