What started as a rumor on Drudge Report has turned into open speculation that former President Donald J. Trump is planning on announcing his re-election bid Monday evening before the Tuesday elections.
From the Washington Examiner:
Several Republican operatives are reportedly on edge amid speculation that former President Donald Trump will make his 2024 presidential bid official Monday evening.
Confidants close to Trump believe he is chomping at the bit and could expedite his timetable for debuting his comeback bid to Monday night’s rally in Ohio where he will be stumping for Republican Senate hopeful J.D. Vance and others, according to Axios reporter Jonathan Swan.
Republican insiders are split as to whether or not Trump will announce by Monday. Yet there is universal sentiment that Trump intends to announce sooner rather than later — and potentially as early as this week.
Trump has repeatedly teased his 2024 ambitions during rallies, including Sunday night in Miami in which he proclaimed he will “probably have to do it again.” Prior reporting indicated that Trump had been eyeing a campaign launch after the midterm elections and that the date in mind was Nov. 14.
Much speculation has been focused on whether or not Trump would announce in early January in order to avoid filing with the FEC in 2022.
Others speculate that the announcement is a means of gauging Trump’s staying power in the media, measuring the impact on social media and Google Trends in order to measure just how strong the Trump brand remains politically.
Meanwhile, several megadonors continue to rally around Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, including billionaire Ken Griffin per Politico:
Griffin, the head of Citadel, an investment firm, has been donating to political campaigns for more than 20 years, giving $5,000 and $10,000 increments in those early days to Republicans and Democrats alike when he was living in Chicago. Mayors Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel, both Democrats, were beneficiaries. And in 2008, he raised money for both presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.
Griffin is not the only megadonor picking sides early in the run up to 2024, but the Politico story may certainly be a catalyst for Trump tipping his hand early.