Donald Trump is running for president in 2024, and his Save America PAC has banked almost $100 million to support a second shot at the White House.
Rolling Stone, the reputation of which was ruined when it published fake news about a fake gang rape at the University of Virginia seven years ago, broke the story on July 19.
Trump has told more than three people he plans to run, the story reported, and suggested as much to Fox talker Sean Hannity at a recent town hall.
When and if Trump announces, leftists and NeverTrump Republicans will explode in a fury more intense than that of 2015.
The Story
“Trump has told at least three people he’s dined with in recent months that he plans to run in 2024,” a former top hand at the Republican National Committee told the magazine:
“I have three friends who’ve had dinner with him in the last couple of months. All three reported that his current plans are to run for president in 2024,” the former R.N.C. official says. “Now, whether he does or not is a different issue. We’ve still got three years to go. But he’s telling people that.”
The latest dinner occurred in the last two weeks, the officials said; the other two in the spring. “The first two dinner companions came away from their conversations convinced Trump was serious and he’s running,” but “the third said he left the dinner ‘not 100% sure Trump wants to run but he likes being in the conversation, he wants to freeze the field, and he wants his name out there,’” the official said.
“All the people I talk to who deal with him directly think as of now he is running,” a former Trump advisor told Rolling Stone.
Hannity popped the question at a Fox News town hall. “You’re not going to answer, but I have to ask,” Hannity said. “Without giving the answer … have you made up your mind” about running?
“Yes,” Trump replied.
Money Raised
But that subtle answer isn’t the only reason to believe Trump is prepping for another run at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Rolling Stone reported:
Another indication … is the campaign cash he’s stockpiled. Save America, a pro-Trump political action committee, ended last year with $31 million in cash on hand, according to federal election records. But money poured into the leadership PAC in the first three months of this year, and CNBC reported that the PAC ended March with $85 million on hand. (The PAC’s 2021 finance disclosures aren’t due until later this summer.) By comparison, Trump had just $8.4 million on hand at the end of March 2017, according to the Center for Responsive Politics….
For now, Trump is seemingly having it both ways. By telling his friends that he plans to run and not officially declaring, he can continue to raise funds through his PAC without the restrictions of an official candidacy. The ex-R.N.C. official says such talk could also freeze the field of Republican presidential contenders. That field includes Mike Pompeo, Trump’s former CIA director and secretary of state; Nikki Haley, Trump’s former ambassador to the United Nations; Florida Gov. DeSantis; and U.S. senators like Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri.
A key issue if Trump does run will be his age. Trump announced his first run on June 16, 2015, two days after he turned 69 years old. He was 70 when he was elected on November 8, 2016.
Trump turned 75 last month. If he follows the 2016 model, he will announce in June 2023 when he is 77. If victorious, he would become president at 78, as did Joe Biden, and will turn 79 six months into his first term.
Given Biden’s slide into dementia even before he was elected, the question is whether Trump will be as healthy and as vigorous as he is now.
H/T: Ace of Spades
