Donald Trump plans to ride a wave of Republican victories in next week’s midterm elections by announcing his candidacy for the presidency, US media reported on Friday, as Democrats braced for a rough night in even the most liberal corners of America.
The year-old president has hinted at a possible third tilt in the White House for nearly two years after losing to Joe Biden, but advisers are finalizing plans for a Nov. 14 announcement, according to Axios.
Trump sent his strongest signal yet that he intends to announce his 2024 nomination soon when he addressed a rally Thursday in Iowa, the first state to hold its Republican nomination contest in the presidential election.
“To make our country prosperous and safe and glorious, I will very, very, very likely do it again, okay? Very, very, very likely,” Trump teased to thunderous applause at the event in Sioux City.
“Get ready. That’s all I’m telling you. Very soon. Get ready.
Trump’s remarks came with polls pointing to a resurgent “red wave” that will likely result in the tycoon’s party cleaving the razor-thin majority of Democrats in the House of Representatives and possibly retaking the Senate.
Confident they can flip the one state they need for the upper house, Republicans expect gains in the House from 12 to 25 seats, easy enough to overtake the Democrats’ eight-seat lead.
– ‘I have a plan’ –
In the final weeks of the campaign, optimistic Republicans looked even beyond the country’s swing states to democratic bastions that once seemed unreachable.
Strategists from both parties are seeing counties in New York, Oregon and Connecticut that voted by double digits for Biden in 2020 come back into play.
Hillary Clinton campaigned in New York on Thursday to bolster Gov. Kathy Hochul’s faltering fortune, while former President Barack Obama speaks in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
With Democrats dragged down by Biden’s underwater approval ratings, particularly on inflation, the president was scheduled to pitch his party as the choice for growth and innovation at a tour of a communications company in San Diego later on Friday.
Ahead of the visit, Biden welcomed fresh October numbers showing the economy added 261,000 jobs and low unemployment.
“I have a plan to cut costs, particularly on health care, energy and other everyday expenses… The Republican plan is very different,” he said in a statement.
“They want to increase the cost of prescription drugs, health insurance and energy bills, while giving more tax breaks to big corporations and the very wealthy.”
– ‘Speculation and rumors’ –
In a glimmer of hope for Democrats, Oprah Winfrey endorsed Pennsylvania Senate nominee John Fetterman during a virtual voting event Thursday.
It was a notable snub from Fetterman’s Republican rival, famed surgeon Mehmet Oz, best known for appearing on Winfrey’s show.
But with Republicans confident of flipping Georgia and Nevada, the Keystone State may not even be needed for a Senate takeover.
Trump initially considered announcing before next Tuesday that he would be ahead in the Republican primary.
But he was persuaded by his close ally, Kellyanne Conway, that the move would expose him to guilt in the event of a bad night for Republicans.
The strategist, who ran Trump’s 2016 campaign and served as his administration’s top adviser, said at a campaign event on Thursday that he is expected to “announce soon.”
Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich told AFP he would “not comment on the media’s endless speculation and rumors” about Trump’s return to the Oval Office.
“As President Trump has said, Americans should vote up and down for the Republicans in the election, and he will continue that message in Pennsylvania tomorrow night,” he added.
