Trump to Make "Major Announcement" Soon on Presidential Bid… WSJ Says "Democrats Are Excited"

Supporters gathered at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, on the night of the 15th ahead of the major announcement promised by former President Donald Trump. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Despite repeated calls for election responsibility, former U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to officially announce his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election as scheduled on the night of the 15th (local time). If so, it will be his third attempt following his 2016 election victory and 2020 re-election defeat.

Former President Trump will hold a "major announcement" at 9 p.m. Eastern Time (11 a.m. Korean time on the 16th) at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, inviting the media as previously announced. Through Truth Social, he hinted at his intention to run for the 2024 presidential election, saying, "I hope this will be one of the most important days in our country's history."

Jason Miller, one of Trump's advisors, also stated, "He (Trump) will announce his presidential candidacy," adding, "His speech is expected to be very professional and restrained." Local media reported that in addition to Trump's presidential candidacy announcement, several key policy goals will be revealed in detail.

If former President Trump declares his candidacy, it will be his third challenge following his 2016 election victory and 2020 re-election defeat. Initially, Trump aimed to carry the momentum from the Republican Party's expected landslide victory in the midterm elections to the presidency. This is why he had early on announced a "major announcement on the 15th." However, as the Republican Party underperformed in the midterms, public opinion against Trump has worsened. Voices citing the Democratic Party's strong performance due to the rallying of anti-Trump forces and Trump's missteps in empowering unqualified candidates have increased, intensifying calls for accountability.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Accordingly, Trump's close aides reportedly tried to persuade him to postpone the major announcement originally scheduled for the 15th until after the Georgia Senate runoff election on December 6. However, three reasons are cited for ultimately deciding to proceed as planned.

First, since the "major announcement on the 15th = presidential candidacy declaration" had already been anticipated, delaying it would be tantamount to admitting responsibility for the election setbacks. Earlier, Trump confirmed in an interview with Fox News shortly after the election that the schedule for the 15th would not change. He questioned, "We had tremendous success (in this election). Why should we change?" This was interpreted as drawing a line against the responsibility claims directed at him while building public opinion that the relatively good results were thanks to him, thereby strengthening his justification for running.

Also, this move is seen as an effort to check rivals such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who have confirmed their presence as "presidential hopefuls within the Republican Party" through this midterm election. Trump has also argued that former Trump administration officials, including former Vice President Mike Pence, should not run as presidential candidates if he decides to run.

Lastly, it is analyzed that by establishing himself as a presidential contender before federal Department of Justice indictments, Trump hopes to gain a political shield. Currently, Trump is under investigation for allegations including inciting the January 6 Capitol riot, election interference in Georgia to change results, and leaking classified documents.

However, negative voices are also rising within the Republican Party regarding this announcement. Senator Mitt Romney (Republican) compared Trump to "a pitcher who has lost three consecutive games on the mound." Romney said, "We have a strong bench (other players)," adding, "I know he has fans who love him, but we need to put new players on the field." Senator John Thune (Republican) also pointed out, "If he wants to be the 2024 presidential candidate, what is really important now is to support winning the Georgia Senate runoff to finish the election." Local media reported that even within the House Freedom Caucus, centered on Trump supporters, opposition sentiments have been confirmed.

Sixty-five percent of U.S. voters oppose former President Trump's candidacy. According to a Morning Consult poll conducted from the 10th to the 14th among 1,983 voters, 65% responded that Trump should not run for president. Among them, 53% said absolutely not. In contrast, only 19% said he must run, and 12% said he probably should. On the same day, a poll conducted in Texas, a Republican stronghold and key state, showed Governor DeSantis (43%) again surpassing former President Trump (32%) in a hypothetical Republican primary contest.

Even the conservative Wall Street Journal (WSJ) harshly criticized his re-entry through a column, saying, "Democrats are excited because they see him as the easiest candidate to beat." In an editorial titled "Donald Trump's Presidential Re-Run," WSJ stated, "It is ironic that more Democrats than Republicans are excited," evaluating, "He divided the Republican Party and became the driving force behind the highest voter turnout in history among Democratic voters."

Furthermore, the newspaper pointed out, "If former President Trump had accepted his 2020 election defeat, considering President Joe Biden's low popularity, he might have had a chance to 'return to the White House,' but his refusal to concede and fueling the January 6 Capitol riot have left him with a permanent burden."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.