President Donald Trump could be planning to announce his plans to run for president at an unusually early date, but not all Republicans are certain that this would be the right move for the party.
Trump has long hinted that he would run for president in 2024 and has continued to organize campaign-style rallies, all while stopping short of saying definitively if he plans to enter the race. However, according to a report from The New York Times, recent information from the House Select committee’s hearings on the January 6 insurrection is impacting his plans.
In an effort to divert attention away from the hearings, Trump is now considering announcing a run much sooner than anticipated, potentially even this month, according to the outlet.
The January 6 hearing this week included dramatic testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, who at the time of the Capitol attack was the top adviser to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and claims that were particularly harmful to Trump.
Hutchinson said, among other things, that the White House deputy chief of staff had informed her that Trump had lunged at the presidential limousine’s wheel in an effort to join his supporters at the Capitol. The vice president “deserves it,” he allegedly yelled in response to protesters yelling “hang Mike Pence” at one point when he was so enraged that he threw his lunch plate against a White House wall.
Hutchinson’s whole testimony was refuted by Trump, who also referred to her as “bad news.” However, several Republicans have voiced fear that Trump could be harmed by her testimony.
Trump is considering running for president in 2024, according to sources close to him, even though other members of the party aren’t so sure.
Among them is Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, who advised Trump to postpone his announcement until after the November midterm elections out of worry that it might undermine the GOP’s messaging for the election.
Democrats face a tough fight to keep their congressional majorities as Republican messaging has attacked President Joe Biden and focused on rising gas prices and raging inflation.
Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican, stated this week that he believed the January 6 hearings had harmed Trump, even going so far as to suggest that he didn’t believe the former president would be the GOP nominee in 2024, even if he decides to run.
As per Businessinsider, however, Trump has maintained high popularity among Republican voters, with early polls showing him easily in the lead against other potential 2024 primary candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Trump’s office did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
