The moment Republicans dreaded finally came on Tuesday night as Donald Trump announced that he will seek the Republican presidential nomination in the 2024 presidential election.
“In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States,” the former president said during an event at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump’s announcement comes following the GOP’s underwhelming midterm elections performance – including the losses of several Trump-endorsed election deniers – and the subsequent blame game that has unfolded since Election Day.
The announcement also coincides with a period of heightened legal peril as Justice Department officials investigating him and his associates revisit the prospect of indictments in their Trump-related probes.
Trump is currently being investigated for inciting the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and his mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate after he left office, as well as election interference in the state of Georgia.
While Trump is counting on an easy path to the GOP nomination with his sustained support among the party’s base, his announcement is likely to make things difficult for Republicans in 2024.
