Former President Donald Trump on the eve of the midterm elections Monday teased a major announcement, which could be his decision on a 2024 presidential run.
“Two years ago we were a great nation, and we will be a great nation again. Not to detract from tomorrow’s very important even critical election… I’m going to be making a very big announcement on Tuesday Nov. 15 at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach,” Trump said of what will likely be a third presidential campaign.
Former President Donald Trump has been highly involved in the midterm elections, endorsing GOP candidates in primary and general races.
(REUTERS/Emily Elconin)
Trump has hinted for over a year that he is interested in a third White House run and has begun to elevate his language recently as a likely announcement nears. Many Republicans wanted Trump to wait until at least after the midterms, and the former president now appears poised to do just that.
TRUMP ELEVATING LANGUAGE AHEAD OF MIDTERM ELECTIONS SIGNALING A 2024 WHITE HOUSE RUN, ADVISERS SAY
He followed up his comments on a Nov. 15 announcement by reading off a list of GOP candidates for voters to elect in the midterms.
Trump also refrained from swinging at other Republicans. As he went through various poll numbers on the big screen at the rally, Trump did not call Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, “Ron DeSanctimonious” as he did at a recent rally. Instead, he endorsed DeSantis for reelection as Florida governor.
As the screen flipped through various polls in states including Nevada, Ohio, North Carolina and Kansas showing Trump as the leader, Trump also said there are “a lot of good people” in the possible GOP field.
Former President Donald Trump’s plane pulls into a rally at Dayton Ohio on Nov. 7, 2022.
(Brooke Singman/Fox News)
Trump also spent significant time attacking Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, and boosting his GOP opponent JD Vance.
Trump hammered many of the same talking points Republicans running in 2022 have emphasized, including inflation, immigration and crime.
“Inflation should have never happened,” Trump told a raucous crowd. “Forget about buying a turkey for Thanksgiving. Has anybody bought a turkey yet for Thanksgiving? Because if you haven’t, don’t even waste your time.”
Trump added: “Number one, you probably won’t get it. And if you do, you’re going to pay approximately three times for than you did.”
Former President Donald Trump did not repeat his “Ron DeSanctimonious” insult for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Monday.
(James Gilbert/Getty Images)
“Under the radical left Democrats the streets of our cities are ruled by bloodthirsty gangs and violent criminals,” the former president said, as he riffed on foreign countries’ “quick trials” for drug dealers.
PENNSYLVANIA MIDTERM ELECTIONS: HOUSE AND SENATE SEATS, CANDIDATES, ISSUES AND MORE
“Instead of doubling the number of IRS agents, we should double the number of ICE and Border Patrol agents,” the former president said.
The former president was heavily involved in the midterms, throwing his support behind Republican candidates across the nation. During the primaries, the majority of Trump-endorsed candidates were victorious, becoming the GOP nominee in their races.
Trump also broke from the midterm script and revisited many of the themes that are standard for his rallies. Trump slammed former Attorney General Bill Barr for not backing up his false claims the 2020 presidential election was stolen, and criticized former Vice President Mike Pence for not rejecting electoral votes.
He also railed against “impeachment hoax number one” and “impeachment hoax number two,” and groused about the various criminal and civil investigations into him.
But the speech could nevertheless set the stage for Trump to take credit for a successful Election Day for Republicans, just ahead of his “big announcement” next week.
“This is the year we’re going to take back the House. We’re going to take back the Senate. And we’re going to take back America. And in 2024 most importantly, we are going to take back our magnificent White House,” Trump said.
