Almost two years after his loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump officially announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election on Tues., Nov. 15 at his Mar-a-Lago resort to an excited crowd of supporters. 

Trump addressed his supporters and declared, “In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States.” 

His announcement was within a long speech where he addressed his issues with the Biden administration and the recent midterm elections. “Unlike Biden possibly getting us into World War III, which can seriously happen,” Trump claimed, “I will keep America out of foolish and unnecessary foreign wars.” Trump hopes to highlight the economic distress, increased political polarization and increased federal spending throughout his campaign. 

“My impression is that he was counting on a big GOP midterm election where he could claim credit and then announce his candidacy,” Colin Swearingen, professor of political science, stated about the announcement. “That way, anyone announcing after him has to answer why they think Trump is flawed.” 

Unfortunately for Trump, the midterm elections did not go the way many pundits anticipated. Instead of a red wave, something many predicted, Republicans failed to win the Senate and barely won a slim majority in the House. 

Many of the candidates Trump endorsed in highly contested areas failed to win their elections. For example, Mehmet Oz, Don Bolduc and Blake Masters, all Republicans, each failed to beat their respective Democratic opponents in their U.S. Senate races despite winning the primaries on the strength carried from Trump’s endorsement. Many even wish Trump held out in his presidential announcement until after the Georgia Senate election run-off between Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock. 

Swearingen claims “with the Senate already decided, Trump’s announcement is more of a risk for himself: if Walker loses, the narrative will be about how Trump might have cost the GOP another Senate seat.” 

The runoff election will be held Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, in which Georgia will once again have to decide its senator through a tough election in what is expected to be a very close race.

Trump claimed that the media fails to acknowledge the number of his endorsed candidates who won their elections, despite the majority being in heavy red districts and not in highly contested areas. 

The early announcement for his presidential election campaign marks the first individual to officially declare their candidacy. Many assume former Vice President Mike Pence will declare his own candidacy in the coming months. Pence is sure to face a tough battle given his public disagreements with Trump during the final months of his presidency. 

Another potential 2024 presidential candidate is Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis who recently won his gubernatorial election with almost 60% of the vote in a rare landslide. 

Swearingen states, “I anticipate there being fewer candidates than in 2016 which might hurt Trump. If there are only 1-2 credible alternatives, then it would be easier for the opposition to unite against Trump.” With the midterms almost complete, the 2024 election will become the priority for both parties in the coming months. 

Madison Bohacek ‘23 is the secretary for John Carroll University’s College Republicans and she expressed her opinions on Trump’s announcement. 

“The Republican Party doesn’t need more drama!” Bohacek claimed, “I have mixed feelings about Trump’s announcement. As a student, it gives me hope that someone like him wants to become the Republican candidate again considering the state of the economy and country. However, I wonder who will be willing to run against him in the Republican party. I worry that his popularity and the controversy that surrounds him might push aside a chance for other Republicans to step up in a campaign.” 

Bohacek also feels like the timing of the campaign announcement was beneficial for Trump. 

“I don’t think his announcement was too early,” she continued, “because he needs to start campaigning now if he wants to gain support of people who may feel wary of him. Two years is a solid amount of time to solidify the dedication that some people already have for him and to attract the people on the fence.”