Advisers are reportedly telling former President Trump to hold off on announcing his 2024 campaign for president, in part out of fear that he will be blamed if Republicans do not win back the House or Senate next year.
The Washington Post reported Monday, citing people familiar with discussions, that advisers are telling the former president to remain patient regarding his 2024 plans, despite his eagerness to launch the campaign in August, when the country was watching the messy Afghanistan withdrawal.
While Trump has not yet announced plans for a run in the next presidential election, he has been publicly toying with the idea for months. In July, he told Fox News’s Sean Hannity that he has made a decision on his 2024 plans, without revealing any details.
Sources told the Post that some of Trump’s advisers were nervous that an early announcement from Trump could cause Democrats to focus their 2022 midterm campaigns around the former president, which could potentially lead to an increase in their turnout and an unfavorable finish for Republicans.
Advisers are also reportedly telling Trump that he could be a more effective advocate for 2022 candidates in his sole capacity as a former president rather than a future candidate.
Trump has also reportedly been told that if he announces a bid for president now he may be subject to equal time rules on television, which could stymie his efforts to stump for GOP candidates.
The president, however, is still acting like a candidate even though he has not officially announced any plans to run again. He has held rallies around the country that evoke images of his campaign events and his team is spearheading an aggressive online campaigning effort.
An informal poll taken among 13 of his current and former advisers, cited by the Post, found that a majority believe Trump will run again in 2024: 10 said they think he will wage another bid, two said it was just a public relations stunt and one other said he was unsure.
Trump, however, has been telling people behind the scenes “I’m running,” the Post reported, citing two of his advisers.
The Hill has reached out to Trump for comment.