Will former President Trump be the Republican presidential candidate in 2024?

Towards the end of his term, Trump's response to the COVID-19 pandemic was slow; he downplayed the threat, ignored or contradicted many recommendations from health officials, and promoted misinformation about unproven treatments and the availability of testing. Trump ran for re-election in the 2020 United States presidential election as a Republican, and lost to Joe Biden , the Democratic Party nominee.

Mr. Trump meets supporters at the "Save America" ​​campaign in Perry, Georgia on September 25, 2021. Photo: AP

Trump supporters believe the election was rigged, leading to the 2021 US Capitol Riots, where Trump supporters stormed and partially occupied the US Capitol . Following the incident, President Trump was impeached on January 13, 2021, making him the only US president to have been impeached twice. Biden would likely be the oldest candidate to run for US President in 2024, while Trump's third campaign is unprecedented. Presidents who are defeated after their first term usually retire and do not return to challenge the person who defeated them. But Trump remains the most influential figure in the Republican Party. Trump's political longevity is another anomaly in 2024.

Seven Republican presidential candidates at the debate on September 27. Photo: REUTERS

Mr. Trump is currently facing criminal charges for allegedly attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election and handling classified documents after leaving the White House. However, Mr. Trump has denied all allegations. New York Attorney General Letitia James also accused Mr. Trump and his associates of "inflating" his assets by 17-35%, equivalent to about 812 million-2.2 billion USD between 2011 and 2021, to get preferential bank loans and more favorable insurance contracts. Trump also faces criminal charges for allegedly attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election, handling classified documents after leaving the White House and paying "hush money" to a porn star. In the current situation, whether Mr. Trump is seen as a serial lawbreaker finally brought to justice, or the victim of politically motivated suppression aimed at preventing him from returning to the White House, will depend on one's perspective.

It is the fourth time Mr. Trump has been criminally indicted this year, but according to the New York Times , polls show that most Americans have long made up their minds about Mr. Trump. According to the newspaper, the indictments will strengthen rather than erode the support of Republican members for Mr. Trump. The grand jury in Georgia issued a 98-page indictment, naming 19 defendants on a total of 41 charges. Of these, Mr. Trump was indicted on 13 counts. The indictment also details dozens of actions by Mr. Trump and those who helped him in the attempt to erase his election defeat in Georgia.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a car factory in Michigan on September 27. Photo: REUTERS

Donald Trump 's lawyer Joe Tacopina said that former US President Donald Trump will not accept a plea deal in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury and plans to file "substantial legal challenges" to the indictment. "Donald Trump will not accept a plea deal in this case. That is definitely not going to happen," Tacopina said. "I don't know if the case will go to trial because we have significant legal challenges to face before we get to that point."

A Denver, Colorado court has opened a hearing in a lawsuit filed by the Washington, D.C.-based Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, D.C., group against former President Trump for his role in the attack on the Capitol building in early 2021. The group argues that former President Trump should be barred from running for office in future elections under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which states that no one can hold federal office if they “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” after taking an oath to support and defend the Constitution.

According to the recent results of a poll conducted by NBC News, the Des Moines Register and Mediacom in Iowa, former US President Donald Trump has a clear advantage, with a support rate of up to 43%, 27 points more than the two candidates, former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (both 16%). In the 2024 presidential race, Mr. Trump is still the leading candidate of the Republican Party. In case Mr. Trump is accused of a crime and is not allowed to run in Colorado, it may not affect the final result much as this state always supports the Democratic Party./.

Bui Tue (commentary and analysis synthesis)