Without making an official declaration for the 2024 presidential race, former president Donald Trump capped a day of CPAC events Saturday addressing issues like the economy, crime, and education, while maintaining that he won the 2020 election.
“What we do in the next few months and the next few years will determine whether American civilization will collapse and fail or whether it will thrive, frankly like never before,” said Trump.
Still, there's uncertainty about whether Trump will be the party's nominee.
“Trump certainly goes into 2024 as the favorite for the Republican nomination if he seeks it, but I don't think that he is a shoo-in. I think there are some others, particularly Ron DeSantis, who might be able to give him a run for his money,” said SMU associate professor of political science Matthew Wilson.
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Wilson said Trump's position has grown weaker with time out of office along with the testimony from the January 6th hearings.
“Normally, parties shy away from nominees who have been tainted by defeat. And so typically, that would be something that would mitigate against Trump. That said, a large portion of the Republican base, including quite clearly Trump himself, does not believe that he really lost in 2020, and so you've got that weird dynamic to deal with as well,” said Wilson.
In addition to DeSantis, Wilson said names like former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem have all been floated. For Trump to take the race, Wilson said he believes looking ahead is key.
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“For Trump to launch successful candidacy, he will have to start to turn the page and look at the issues that we face now and look ahead to the future rather than nursing grievances about the 2020 campaign,” he said.
Still, just hours before Trump took the stage Saturday, a pollster announced the former president overwhelmingly won a straw poll as the preferred 2024 nominee.
