Top aides to former President Donald Trump have discussed the third week of November as an ideal launch point for his 2024 presidential campaign if Republicans fare well in the congressional midterm elections next week, CNN reported Friday.
Trump, who has campaigned for Republican candidates running in Tuesday's elections, has indicated his eagerness to throw his hat into the ring for the next presidential election.
"I ran (for president) twice. I won twice...And now in order to make our country successful, and safe and glorious, I will very, very, very probably do it again," the 76-year-old said during a rally in the Midwest state of Iowa on Thursday, reiterating his unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was "rigged and stolen."
According to CNN, Trump's team has discussed Nov. 14 as one possible announcement date, which would come in the middle of President Joe Biden's overseas trip to Asia for annual regional summits.
Online news outlet Axios also reported the possibility of Nov. 14 becoming the launch date for Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, with the official announcement possibly followed by a multi-day series of political events.
With polls showing that Biden's Democratic Party is likely to lose control of the House of Representatives, and possibly also the Senate, Trump may seek to take credit for Republican wins across the board, including those he propelled with his endorsements, Axios said.
Both media outlets, citing anonymous sources, indicated that a Nov. 14 announcement is not yet decided and that the schedule could change depending on Tuesday's results, especially if the Senate still hangs in the balance and the Georgia race goes to a run-off.
According to Axios, Trump has long planned to announce his re-election bid shortly after the midterms to get ahead of potential rivals for the Republican Party's 2024 nomination, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
While midterms are usually seen as a referendum on the incumbent president, Biden has sought to make this year's elections a choice between his Democratic Party and Republicans aligned with Trump. He accuses his 2020 presidential election rival of rejecting the outcome of elections, threatening personal rights and embracing political violence.
Trump remains a controversial figure, having ended his four-year presidency amid accusations over his role in the deadly Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, in which a pro-Trump mob sought to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election.
His unilateralist "America First" foreign policy and his provocative rhetoric have also often caused friction with other countries including some of the closest allies of the United States.
Meanwhile, 79-year-old Biden, who became the oldest-ever U.S. president at the time of inauguration, said in a TV interview in October that it is "my intention" to run again in 2024, although acknowledging that he has not made a formal decision.
Related coverage:
Biden rallies voters a week ahead of U.S. midterms amid dim outlook
Pelosi's husband attacked in home invasion targeting House speaker
Trump summoned by Congress committee to testify over Capitol riot
