Trump drops hint about re-election plans

The former US leader said he would make up his mind on a potential 2024 presidential bid soon

Former US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would make a decision on whether to seek re-election in 2024 “in the very near future.”

Speaking to Indian broadcaster NDTV, the ex-president claimed that “everyone wants me to run,” hinting that he is optimistic about his prospects for winning both the Republican nomination, and a potential rematch with the current president, Joe Biden.

“I’m leading in the polls, and every poll – Republican polls and Democrat polls. I’ll make a decision in the very near future, I suspect. And I think that a lot of people are going to be very happy.”

Earlier reports suggested that Trump could launch his presidential bid before the November midterm election, even as early as July, which did not happen. At the time, sources told the New York Post that “there’s discussions about an early launch” of the campaign, with the groundwork being laid.

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Meanwhile, according to a USA Today/Ipsos poll released in late August, Trump remains popular among Republicans, with 59% of GOP voters saying he should be the party’s nominee for 2024. The survey also indicated that only 44% of Democrats believe Biden should be re-elected, with 56% signaling they want a change.

The poll shows that Republicans for the most part have not wavered in their support for Trump, despite the recent controversial FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago residence, in which the agency confiscated more than 100 classified documents from the former leader and prosecutors hinted that Trump may have attempted to obstruct the investigation.

A Yahoo News-YouGov poll released on Wednesday suggests that Biden would prevail over Trump in a hypothetical 2024 presidential rematch, with the incumbent leading by a six percent margin. According to the survey, 48% of respondents said they would vote for Biden if the 2024 election were held today, while 42% said they would support Trump.