Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign

Trump won the 2016 general election with an electoral vote of 304 to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's 227. Trump lost the popular vote, receiving nearly 3 million fewer votes than Clinton, the greatest negative margin of any winning presidential candidate in history;[27] he was thereby elected the 45th president of the United States on November 8, 2016, and inaugurated on January 20, 2017. He unsuccessfully sought reelection in the 2020 United States presidential election, losing to Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who obtained an electoral vote of 306 to Trump's 232. Trump also lost the popular vote by 7 million votes.[28] With one week remaining in his presidency, Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives for incitement of insurrection for his actions during the January 6 Capitol Hill attack a week earlier, but was ultimately acquitted in the Democratic-controlled Senate because the 57–43 vote in favor of conviction fell short of the two-thirds supermajority (67 out of 100 senators) required. Trump is the only US president to have been impeached twice.[29] Trump continues to falsely claim that the election was stolen, which has led to ongoing controversy within the Republican party.

Trump is generally regarded by presidential historians and scholars as one of the worst presidents in U.S. history.[30][31] One representative survey of presidential experts rated Trump last in overall ability, background, integrity, intelligence, and executive appointments, and next to last in party leadership, relationship to congress, and ability to compromise.[31] Among the American public, Trump's average 41 percent approval rating was the lowest of any president since Gallup began polling, and he left office with a 34 percent approval rating and 62 percent disapproval rating in his final polls.[32]

As of December 2022, Trump is facing numerous lawsuits and criminal investigations into his activities.[33][34] The four major criminal investigations currently involving Trump concern: 1) his alleged improper removal of a large number of classified documents to his home in Mar-a-Lago following his presidency; 2) his alleged actions during the January 6 Capitol Hill attack; 3) his alleged attempts to intimidate Georgia election officials and obstruct the results of the presidential election in Georgia in 2020; 4) and his alleged financial fraud in misrepresenting his assets when attempting to secure loans and valuation for his businesses.[33] The chairman of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, Paul Manafort, his former chief political strategist, Steve Bannon, and former campaign counsel, Michael Cohen, have all been convicted of various crimes and sentenced to prison since 2018.[35][36][37] At least 8 other members of Trump's prior campaigns have been charged with crimes since 2017.[38]

In the days before the end of his term in January 2021, Trump began discussing the possibility of forming a third party, to be called the "Patriot Party", to contest the election against both Democratic and Republican candidates.[39] Spokespersons for Trump later denied that he had such plans.[40]

In March 2021, Trump's niece, psychologist Mary L. Trump, asserted that Trump will not run a genuine campaign for the presidency again, but will "pretend" to run for president in order to profit off of the publicity generated by such an effort.[41] In April 2021, however, CNN reported that Trump was "yearning to return to the White House" and that Trump's support of candidates for other races at that time was "principally aimed at supporting that goal".[42]

In July 2022, as the public hearings of the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack were progressing, Trump was reportedly considering making an early announcement of his 2024 candidacy.[43][44] On July 14, 2022, Intelligencer published an interview with Trump, based upon which they reported that Trump had already made up his mind, and was just deciding when to declare.[45] Following the August 2022 FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, many of Trump's allies urged that he announce his candidacy sooner, including some who had previously advised that he defer an announcement until after the mid-term elections.[46] During a rally in Iowa in the run-up to the 2022 United States midterm elections, Trump stated, "in order to make our country successful and safe and glorious, I will very, very, very probably do it again", indicating that he might announce his candidacy soon thereafter, prompting speculation that he would announce as soon as the week of November 14, 2022.[47][48]

The question of Trump's eligibility to run for president in 2024 is delineated by the US Constitution. Two amendments addressing this issue are the 14th and 22nd Amendments.

Trump has only been elected president once, in 2016, so is not limited from running again by the 22nd Amendment, which permits two full terms. Even before losing the 2020 election, he publicly proclaimed his willingness to seek a third term in 2024, despite this being explicitly prohibited. Trump claimed that Barack Obama had spied on him and his campaign, and that this meant he was "'entitled' [to a third term] because he was spied on."[49][50][51]

Trump is seeking to become the second president to serve non-consecutive terms, after Grover Cleveland who was re-elected in 1892. The last one-term president to campaign for a second non-consecutive term was Herbert Hoover, who after serving from 1929 to 1933 made unsuccessful runs in 1936 and 1940.[52]

In the aftermath of the American Civil War, the 14th Amendment was passed. Section 3 of the amendment prohibits anyone from holding public office if they had previously sworn an oath to support the Constitution, but then "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the [United States], or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof." The full text of this section reads:

Trump's role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack is cited by opponents as a reason for his disqualification from seeking public office. On January 10, 2021, Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, formally requested Representatives' input as to whether Section 3 pertained to the outgoing President.[53][54] On January 13, 2021, the House of Representatives impeached Trump for 'incitement of insurrection' by a vote of 232-to-197. On February 13, 2021, the Senate voted on the charge, with 57 senators casting votes of 'Guilty' to 43 as 'Not Guilty'; removal by impeachment requires a two-thirds supermajority of the United States Senate to convict in an impeachment trial.

Some legal experts believe a court would be required to make a final determination if Trump was disqualified under Section 3.[55] In September 2022, a New Mexico District Court Judge removed local official Couy Griffin from office due to his participation in the January 6 attack,[56][57] which some commentators felt established a precedent to bar Trump from office.[58] A state may also make a determination that Trump is disqualified under Section 3 from appearing on that state's ballot.[53] Trump could appeal in court any disqualification by Congress or by a state.[59] In addition to state or federal legislative action, a court action could be brought against Trump seeking his disqualification under Section 3.[60] The 14th Amendment itself provides a path for Trump to assert eligibility in such a case:

"But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability."

The announcement was attended by comedian Alex Stein;[67] consultant Roger Stone; businessman Mike Lindell; Representative Madison Cawthorn (R-NC); former deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought; political advisor Jason Miller; attorney Kash Patel; political analyst Sebastian Gorka; and political aide Hogan Gidley.[68][69] The Insider noted "many members of congress were not in attendance", including Matt Gaetz.[68] Family members who attended included Trump's wife and former first lady Melania, Trump's sons Barron and Eric, Eric's wife Lara, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. His daughters Ivanka and Tiffany did not attend the announcement party; Ivanka said she would not be engaging in politics going forward and would not be a part of her father's presidential bid.[70] Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. also did not attend.[68] Ivanka had been a senior advisor in her father's administration, and also was the director of the Office of Economic Initiatives and Entrepreneurship.[71][72][73] Trump invited Admiral Charles Kubic VFAF national spokesman,[74] Donna[75] and Stan Fitzgerald,[76] Veterans For Trump chief political advisor,[77] with Angie Wong VFAF national media rep[78] from the organization. The Fitzgeralds and Wong attended, Kubic was out of the country.[79] The VFAF organization[80] will be part of the Trump collation's team for the campaign.[81]

On March 30, 2023, Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury for his alleged role in a scandal stemming from hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election.[111][112][113][114] Trump released a statement calling the indictment "political persecution" and said it would "backfire massively" on President Joe Biden.[115] Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer, former vice president Mike Pence called the indictment an "outrage".[116]

Trump sent emails to his supporters asking for donations to "defend our movement from the never-ending witch hunts" and wrote that donations would have a "1,500% impact".[117] In the two weeks following the indictment, he raised $15.4 million, more than he had raised during the previous three months.[118]

On April 25, 2023, the civil trial began at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York over allegations by E. Jean Carroll, that Trump had raped her in the Bergdorf Goodman department store in 1995 or 1996. On May 9, 2023, the jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation against Carroll, but found him not liable for rape. They awarded Carroll $5 million in damages.[25] Trump said that he will appeal the decision, describing it to be "unconstitutional silencing."[26]