Trump looking to announce 2024 run in September, report says

Aides allegedly feel it will make difference during midterms

Donald Trump is expected to announce a 2024 presidential run ahead of November’s midterm elections, and in spite of advice from his closest aides, two confidents claim.

Two advisers told The Washington Post he is now allegedly eyeing September to make an announcement at the earliest, the paper reported on Thursday.

One aide described the chances of an announcement as being at “70-30 he announces before the midterms”, while others reportedly said September could be the soonest date.

The sources remained anonymous and had reportedly been in dicussion with the Republican about when to announce a 2024 bid.

The Post said Trump aides and other Republicans had previously expressed concerns about his impact on the 2022 midterms, should he announce a bid for the presidency beforehand.

He is currently the focus of a financial fraud investigations in New York for which he is due to testify under oath on 15 July, and has repeatedly been under scrutiny by the January 6 congressional committee during the recent televised hearings on the attack.

Now, however, the prevailing thought among Mr Trump’s aides is allegedly that the sooner he makes a bid, the better Republicans could perform in November.

An ally of the one-term president, Senator Lindsay Graham, was quoted as saying: “If Trump is going to run, the sooner he gets in and talks about winning the next election, the better, It will refocus his attention — less grievance, more about the future.”

Mr Trump has teased a 2024 run on multiple occasions, including during a Thanksgiving message to his supporters last year, and at the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida.

Rumours of an early 2024 announcement also come as figures such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Mr Trump’s closest rival in the race, gain momentum in opinion polling.

US President Joe Biden has meanwhile said he would not be “disappointed” if the 2024 election is a rematch with Mr Trump, who polls behind the Democrat in a number of states despite low approval ratings himself.

The Democrat has not formally announced another run, although as the incumbent is expected to.