Donald Trump wants to be president again
Donald Trump had disappeared from the political scene ever since the storming of the Capitol. Now the ex-president has reaffirmed his intention to retake the White House for the Republicans in 2024 in a self-assertive 90-minute speech delivered at the Conservative Political Action Congress (CPAC). He also said he does not plan to found a new party. What are his chances - and in what direction will the divided party head?
First step is to build a basis in the Capitol
For Ria Novosti the Congressional elections in November 2022 are the next decisive intermediate step:
“Trump will carry out a purge in the Republican elite - starting with those who opposed him in the impeachment proceedings or tended to side with the Democrats. But the most important thing for Trump now will be to build up his own group in Congress after the midterms in 2022. They'll be the dress rehearsal for his revenge. The more Republican Congressmen owe him their election or re-election, the stronger his position and overall reputation will be. And the better his position going into the 2024 elections will be.”
Republicans must lose to survive
Dagens Nyheter is shocked by Trump's enthusiastic reception but says it wouldn't be in his party's interest to back him again:
“There's now only one way for the Republicans to save themselves: by losing, losing again, and losing by a clear margin. Hopefully that's just what will happen. Many voters who have traditionally supported the Republican Party turned their backs on it last year because they can't stand Trump. That's how the Democrats won states like Georgia and Arizona. If President Biden plays his cards right, gets the US out of the Covid crisis and keeps his party close to the centre, more voters will leave the Republican camp - which is wholly under Trump's control right now - and go over to the Democrats.”
Popular with workers and Hispanics
The Democrats used the pandemic to defeat Trump and so his comeback is definitely in the cards, News website wPolityce.pl believes:
“Trump did lose, but mainly as a result of the epidemic. Not only did this deter elderly voters from going to the polls, it also allowed the Democrats to change the electoral rules. ... But let's not forget: Trump was able to give the Republican Party a brand new profile. It's now a party of the working people and is also popular with Latin American voters. ... The Democrats won the Senate and kept Congress, but their lead is minimal. Anything is possible.”