Donald Trump launched his race for the White House on Tuesday, launching a campaign that promises to be merciless in his Republican camp, bruised and divided by the disappointment of the recent elections.
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The former president has filed with US electoral authorities his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, a first official step.
But the fanfare announcement will have to wait a bit: the real estate mogul has planned a ceremony Tuesday evening in the large reception hall of his luxurious residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
For his “big announcement”, he summoned an audience of dedicated activists, seated on gilded chairs.
This new candidacy is the third of the septuagenarian to the White House.
Coming to power in November 2016 by creating the greatest modern political surprise, Donald Trump had flouted all customs during his presidency. He left Washington in chaos after failing to win re-election to Joe Biden — a defeat he never acknowledged.
It also foreshadows a possible remake of the 2020 presidential election: President Biden recently reaffirmed his “intention” to run for a second term, although he was careful to postpone any final decision until next year.
Rumors have been rife in recent weeks about an imminent announcement by Donald Trump, the ex-president then determined to ride on the anticipated success of the Republicans in the November 8 elections to regain power.
But the “giant wave” predicted with great aplomb by conservatives has far from materialized: President Biden’s Democratic party made sure this weekend to keep control of the Senate, and could even widen its majority, thwarting the predictions of the pollsters.
The Republicans will most likely take over the House of Representatives from the Democrats, but with a significantly smaller majority than expected.
This more than mixed performance of the Republican camp, in particular on the part of candidates dubbed by Donald Trump, has tarnished the reputation of the kingmaker of the tribune.
Several influential voices in the conservative camp have also called on the real estate mogul to step aside from the Republican leadership, casting a shadow over his presidential projects.
Part of the conservative electorate has already turned to another possible contender for the White House and resident of Florida: its governor, Ron DeSantis. The 40-year-old, a new star of the hard right, who is coming out stronger from the mid-term elections, assured that his fight “was only just beginning”.
And did not fail to denounce on Tuesday the “extremely disappointing performance” of the rest of his camp in this election, taking care however not to name Donald Trump directly.
Donald Trump’s former vice-president, Mike Pence, his ex-head of diplomacy, Mike Pompeo, the governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin… the battle for the Republican nomination promises to be bitter.
But the former president retains for the moment an undeniable popularity with his base, a tide of red caps which continues to flow to his campaign rallies. The majority of polls still give him the winner of a Republican primary.
An obstacle could however complicate Donald Trump’s ascent to the White House: his numerous legal troubles, which could end up disqualifying him.
The former president is the target of several investigations for his role in the attack on the headquarters of Congress on January 6, 2021 or his management of the White House archives. This declaration, however, makes a potential indictment more delicate.
By relying on an “instinct” always put forward, Donald Trump, whose fall has been announced a thousand times, has so far survived all the scandals. As if, by dint of accumulation, they no longer had any effect on him.