Trump announces run for president in 2024
Former US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced his intention to run for the White House once again in the 2024 presidential election.
The former president announced his bid at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, despite the disappointing showing of the candidates backed by him in last week's midterm congressional elections. Many Republicans blame him for the poorer-than-expected Republican performance in the midterms.
"America's comeback starts right now," Trump said as he launched his bid.
In his speech, Trump defended his legacy on ripping up trade deals, foreign policy, border control, and his response to the COVID pandemic.
"In four short years (of Trump's tenure) everybody was doing great. Everybody was thriving like never before," Trump said, claiming that under his single-term tenure, the United States enjoyed "decades" of peace.
He also claimed that China interfered in the 2020 election, in which he lost.
Trump claimed that Biden has undermined Trump's legacy since taking power.
"For millions of Americans, the two years under Joe Biden have been a time of pain, hardship and despair," he said, citing inflation, gas prices, energy shortages, supposed loss of border control, and the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
He claimed that Russia's invasion of Ukraine would never have happened had he been in power.
He defended the Republican' turn-out in the midterms, in which they failed to take control of the Senate. But he said two more years of Biden would open voters' eyes to the benefits of a Trump presidency.
The declaration comes after speculation intensified in recent months that he intended to run for president once again.
Trump's announcement comes as Republicans closed in on the 218 seats they need to take a majority in House of Representatives.
"Hopefully, tomorrow will turn out to be one of the most important days in the history of our Country!" Trump had earlier written on Truth Social on Monday.
Trump grudgingly left office at the end of his term claiming without providing evidence that voter fraud delivered Joe Biden election an victory over him.
If reelected, Trump would be the only second president to serve non-consecutive terms, after Grover Cleveland, who was elected in 1885 and 1893.