Ryan King writes for the Washington Examiner about top prospects for the 2024 presidential race.
Now that the midterm elections have wrapped up, a political cold war is brewing for the next major electoral tussle on the horizon: the 2024 presidential race.
Former President Donald Trump preempted his rivals by becoming the first heavyweight contender to enter the race in November, although his campaign has been largely idle in the public eye since its debut. However, Trump’s early strike has expedited the timeline for others considering jumping into the fray.
“The fact that President Trump has already announced accelerates everyone’s time frame. So the first quarter of next year, you either need to be in or out,” said Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AK), who is mulling a presidential bid. …
… Already in the race, Trump has seemingly weathered a steady stream of mishaps and political fumbles since his campaign announcement. Starting with the lackluster GOP midterm outing that failed to manifest tailwinds he expected to have during his launch, Trump quickly ran into hot water shortly after by having dinner with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, and Nick Fuentes, both of whom have promoted antisemitism. …
… Widely polled as the top possible challenger to Trump, [Ron] DeSantis has been coy in public about his plans for 2024. Trump has already directed political fire his way, but the Florida governor has largely held back from responding, with DeSantis’s advisers reportedly believing it best to wait until he reaches a decision on running in the spring before sparring with Trump. …
… Since departing the White House, [Mike] Pence has made trips to critical battleground states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. Despite being Trump’s wingman for four years, he has contended that “we’ll have better choices” than his old boss and explained that he’s giving a 2024 stint “prayerful consideration.”
